True Faith
by Sybil Rowan
Summary: Finny is having problems fitting in at his school. Snake's foster family are borderline delinquents that get him into trouble. When Snake is punished by being assigned to help Finny with his school work, their lives change considerably. AU high school, Finny/Snake.
1. Chapter 1

Title: True Faith

Author: Sybil Rowan

Summary: Finny is having problems fitting in at his school. Snake's foster family are borderline delinquents that get him into trouble. When Snake is punished by being assigned to help Finny with his school work, their lives change considerably. AU high school Finny/Snake.

Pairing(s)/Characters: Finny/Snake- Bard and Mey-rin are a married couple. Also, Snake's circus family are in this one, living as foster children under Lord Kelvin's roof. The Grim Reapers as teachers, couldn't resist :D

Rating: M

Warnings: Memories of horrible abuse and violence, some language, not terribly graphic. Kelvin in the background being a weirdo/pervert, not too much, same as canon.

Author's Notes: This is a high school AU. So it'll be modern times, but the characters will retain their "modifications" for the most part. It depends on what's need for the plot, so DO NOT necessarily expect canon. Named after a New Order song, of course :)

Disclaimer: Black Butler is owned by Yana Tobosu.

Beta Reader: WingedPanther73, of course.

Date: May 1, 2015- 01:55 am

Word Count: on going

Part 1:

"Not again," Bard mumbled as he and Mey-rin walked down the cool, school hallways that reeked of antiseptic, cleaning fluid and stale, warmed-over hamburgers.

"Please don't. He already feels bad for all the misunderstandings at this school. He's new and wants to fit in. He just touches things and disaster happens. We're used to it, already. We have to help him adjust to life around other people. This is part of that."

"Yeah, but this meeting is about how far behind he is, not breaking more furniture. Maybe we should have home schooled or something?"

"Bard! You know I don't have the education for that. Besides my job at the cafe helps us meet any shortfalls. I can't take the time out for Finny right now until we get caught up on some of the bills. We rely on your salary for so much, so you can't reduce your shifts. "

Bard repressed a sigh and nodded. "I know, Mey, I wasn't trying to poke at you or anything. I just want to keep him safe before he attracts too much attention." He then whispered with suspicious, narrowed eyes darting around. "Your uncle could come back and nab both of you, and I don't want to be investigating that."

Bard sighed as she nodded with a grim expression. He, more than anyone, knew the trials and tribulations his wife had to face since she had broken away from her mafia family five years ago. It had been hard for her. She didn't know how to read or do much of anything... except... that one thing... kill.

Being a sniper for the mafia wasn't a resume enhancement in normal life. Bard, being a police officer, had found ways to help the poor, young woman when he had found her shivering in an alleyway and covered in blood. After a year or so, Mey-rin had gotten her feet under her, and Bard found himself enjoying spending more of his off-duty hours with her.

He still worked with what he knew about Mey-rin. She had revealed just a little at a time. Five years, though, and he was still kind of ignorant of most of her family. His wife's cousin had turned up a little more than a year ago. Finny had run away from their mafia family, too, but Bardroy suspected it was more like escape, judging by the horrible shape the kid was in when he had knocked on their door Summer before last.

There was something about Mey-rin and Finny being "different," and that's what made them both stand out. When her cousin had shown up on their doorstep, bedraggled, she had begged Bard to take in Finnian. He was just a kid, so Bard's compassion was high. In his line of work, he'd seen too many abused children to ignore Finny's plight. He'd grown to love Finny like a kid brother, but there were issues Mey-rin and Bard had to struggle with almost daily.

He said, "I know, I know. He's an innocent, good kid that got caught up in bad business, like you. We're doing the best we can... considering," Bard said in dour, hushed tones near Mey-rin's ear. He hoped he hadn't sounded too testy towards his wife. Bard took a deep breath, gave her a fake smile, and an encouraging nod. That was one thing Mey-rin and Finny had taught him. Sometimes you put false smile just for other's benefit, to cheer other's spirits.

Mey-rin had done some explaining why her cousin was in such a horrible state, and Bard had understood. After all, Mey-rin had been in the same situation. She had been trained to be a gang enforcer because of her special abilities. Her cousin, Finny, had been expected to fill another role. He was to fight underground matches and win their mafia uncle a lot of money. Bard found the whole thing disgusting.

They arrived at the p _rincipal_ 's office. Bard had to admit he was a little tired of seeing the named "Doctor Sebastian Michaelis: P _rincipal_ " stenciled on the door. Bard gave a firm knock on the door and a firm voice called out "Enter."

Bard sighed seeing the typical scene: Finny sniffing and holding back tears in a corner seat while Doctor Michaelis was busy sorting through files. The dark-haired _principal_ _looked up and pushed_ _aside his work._

"Officer Bardroy and your lovely wife. Nice of you to join me this afternoon."

"Not like we had much choice," Bard griped and took a seat with Mey-rin in front of Michaelis' desk. "So you say his reports aren't strong."

"Aren't strong is an understatement. He's already flunking across the board. Sutcliff, Crevan, Knox, and Spears are all at the end of their ropes with his test grades. Agni and Randal agreed to let him retest along with my other four faculty members if you agree to get him help," Michaelis insisted.

Bard gritted his teeth. He still wanted to choke that Ronald Knox for flirting with Mey-rin late in the last school year. He wasn't pleased that man was still Finny's history teacher this year.

"Well, we can't really afford a tutor for all of his subjects," Mey-rin pointed out awkwardly. Finny stifled a sob and lowered his miserable expression.

"I think I have a solution," Michaelis said, giving them a kindly, charming smile. "I can arrange for free tutoring to catch him up and fill in some gaps he obviously has in his educational background."

Bard got a suspicious feeling in his stomach suddenly. It was that instinct that made him such a great cop. "What's the catch?"

"The other boy is a bit unusual," Michaelis said. His smile dropped and he said, "But I have a feeling unusual won't bother you too much."

* * *

[earlier that day]

Snake adjusted his backpack on his right shoulder and avoided getting too close around other students in the hallway. The start of his senior year, so far, was not too terrible. The other students were used to his looks by now and gave him a wide birth and averted their eyes. Thanks to Joker and Dagger, he hadn't suffered the indignities of bullying like he had seen others go through.

It was his gratitude over their protection that lead up to trouble. He saw the two of them loitering by his locker. Joker was a senior, too, and Dagger was a junior. They had all lived together in their foster home for about eight years now. Long enough for them to grow loyal to one another. There was just something, though, that Snake didn't like in their expressions.

Before he could say a word, Professor Spears came storming out of his mathematics classroom and marched up to Joker and Dagger as he pushed his glasses high on the bridge of his nose. They slipped down his nose again as he raged, "This is the last straw! It better not have been you two or you'll be expelled. Finally!"

"What? Us?" Dagger asked in faux innocence.

"What was in that locker you just shut, Joker?" Professor Spears demanded, pointing at Snake's locker. Snake started getting worried. He had no clue that those two could get into his locker. Were they planning a prank? Both of them were notorious around school for them. No doubt, judging from Spears' expression, the prank had already been pulled on the teacher.

"Nothing, sir," Joker answered. "You should check my locker or Dagger's."

"Open it! Now!" Spear's insisted. Now, Joker was looking very uncomfortable. Snake drew closer. Spears glared at Snake and said, "Don't tell me these two influenced you into their incorrigible behavior. Open it! Now!"

Snake opened his locker, that he had assumed was private, and was surprised to find a huge bottle of Gorilla Glue. Spears grabbed the glue in one hand and Snake's upper arm in the other. Before Snake knew it, he was sitting in front of Principal Michaelis, accused of putting glue on every seat in Professor Spears' classroom.

After Michaelis got rid of Spears' irate presence he looked at Snake and said, "I know you didn't play the prank, but I must punish you unless you tell me who did."

Snake's stomach sank. Both Joker and Dagger had stuck by him in some dark times, and he didn't have very many people that didn't look on him with revulsion. He looked down and said, "I did it. I'm very sorry."

"Well, I'm not going to press you further. You'll only maintain your lie. You keep a very high grade average, and I don't see a reason to waste that. I have a punishment in mind that can help another student that came to my attention this morning. Keep in mind, I'm punishing you for your lie, not a prank."

"Yes, sir," Snake replied and was dismissed, but instructed to come back after school the following day.

* * *

Finny was so upset by his failing grades on his first round of tests of the year. He didn't want to disappoint them at all, and it seemed like he couldn't do anything but disappoint. His life over the last year was walking on eggshells, trying so hard not to bring attention to himself. Bard and Mey-rin explained in detail why he had to act "normal."

If he was found, Mey-rin could be found. He didn't want to go back to that bloody arena again, and he would despise himself if his beloved cousin had to go back to assassins' work on his account. The problem was, he just didn't know what was considered normal, because he had been exposed to the outside world for only a little more than a year.

Bard and Mey-rin had brought Finny home after the meeting with Principal Michaelis. He really like his principal a great deal, and the man had gone out of his way to help camouflage some of Finny's differences in front of the other students.

He was grateful for the man's help, but it had come to the point where his learning was just so lagging. Doctor Michaelis promised him a tutor because Bard and Mey-rin's finances were tight, but he didn't know who it was. Whoever it was, he had to make sure he looked as normal as possible.

* * *

All was quiet around Kelvin's dinner table set with pot roast. Snake glared at Joker and Dagger, occasionally, and they did look guilty.

Finally Beast, who was a junior at their school, said, "Really, you two should confess. It's not fair to Snake. Why should he be punished for your prank? He didn't do anything."

Snake didn't expect that. She had a crush on Joker, and Dagger had a crush on her. It was a bizarre love triangle. Snake didn't expect her support at all.

"But we'll get expelled," Dagger whined.

Before Beast could chastise her classmate, Snake said, "Don't worry about it. The punishment won't be too terrible. I'd rather take it than them getting kicked out of school. Can we just get through it?"

All of the sudden, Dagger bounced out of his chair and shouted, "Yeah, Snake! You're such a buddy! Thanks, man!"

Snake could see Joker give a relieved sigh. Then Wendy and Peter joined them for dinner. They gave their two-cents worth and gave Joker and Dagger an earful about how bad it was to let Snake take the blame for looked to the head of the table where Kelvin was missing. Snake was grateful the man was on a business trip. He could be rather harsh in his punishments.

Snake excused himself and went to his room. After school, he was to go to Michaelis' office and get his punishment. He had the vague clue he was to help another student, but most others hated or feared him. How could he even hope of helping another student when they looked at him with disgust?

To be continued.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I loved that one episode were they were playing on "Hamlet" so I gave a nod to it here.

True Faith, Part 2:

Snake finished with Professor Sutcliff's English class. They were studying Shakespeare's "Hamlet," and Sutcliff had seen fit to act out Ophelia in full costume. At least Snake had some revenge when Joker was forced to play Hamlet to the outrageous Ophelia. Professor Grell Sutcliff had a flair for embarrassing the snot out of everyone in his classes; Snake was just happy to see it was Joker's turn.

The end-of-school-bell rang and Snake bolted from the classroom as Sutcliff started hugging Joker's neck and complimenting his fabulous acting skills. Snake rolled his eyes and thought, 'Acting skills, indeed.' He jogged down the hallway and went to Principal Michaelis' office. He glanced by the principal's door where there was an oak bench; he noticed a blond boy waiting there. Snake's eye was caught by those wide, green eyes that looked so sad for the barest of moments.

When the boy noticed Snake staring at him, a bright, sweet smile came to his face. A vague memory of Peter and Wendy, who were Freshmen, laughing about this boy came to mind. He was a Freshman, too, but according to them, the boy was a lost cause when it came to any subject taught at the school. They, however, gave wide berth to the kid because of something that happened two weeks ago. Something about that rich bully, Aloise Trancy, getting sent to the hospital.

Snake had ignored the dinner table gossip, but now, looking at the kid in person, he dismissed it as that: gossip. The kid looked like he couldn't harm a fly, even if he wanted to. He turned and knocked on Michaelis' door and heard, "Enter."

He went in, shut the door, and sat in front of Michaelis' desk. The man gave him a firm expression and said, "Last chance. Do you want to confess your innocence or take the punishment for lying?"

"Punishment," Snake answered.

"As you wish." Michaelis stood and opened the door to his office. "Finny, come in. I want you to meet your tutor."

Snake thought bitterly, 'Tutor? Me? No one would want me as a tutor. What is he thinking making me do this?'

The Freshman Wendy and Peter had gossiped about entered the room and took a seat next to Snake. The chair looked giant compared to the slight boy. "Snake, this is Finnian. He needs some assistance in his classes. This is how you'll work off your punishment."

"But... Wendy and Peter are in his class," Snake pointed out, avoiding looking at the younger boy's curious gaze.

"Yes, but Wendy and Peter haven't lied to me," Michaelis pointed out.

Snake scowled and asked, "How long?"

"Until he gets good grades, of course, which is a shame for you." Michaelis then smirked and said, "Judging from what Spears, Sutcliff, Crevan, and Knox have said, that might be for the next twenty years."

"But that's math, English, science, and history!" Snake then gritted his teeth when he heard some sniffling coming from his left. Was the kid actually crying?!

"You're carrying 'Above Average' in all of those classes. It's a perfect match. Now, get along to the library and get your homework done. I've already notified his guardians he'll be late for dinner and I've informed your family, as well."

Snake felt icy dread at having to talk to someone outside of his family for that long. Snake's quick mind came up with the excuse, "But I have friends waiting for me to feed them."

"I mentioned it to Doll, and he has agreed to check on them for you. It's not as if your friends need you to feed them every day, right? Now, move along so you both can get home at a decent hour."

Snake's shoulders slumped as he gathered up his backpack and motioned for the younger boy to follow him. He always studied in the library after school, anyway, because of the chaos around the Kelvin household. And yes, he admitted to himself, this was not a day his friends would be hungry; they were fed yesterday.

* * *

They sat at the table in a secluded, dark corner of the library. Books, notebook paper, and pens were spread over the table between them. They were quiet for several, long, agonizing minutes. It was Finny who made the first overtures with another bright smile.

"So... Snake is a cool nickname. How did you get it?"

"From my friends," he answered simply.

"Friends? You said something about feeding friends. Can't they feed themselves? Oh no, am I keeping from a senior center or something?" Finny asked, looking in utter dread at the idea of a bunch of elderly people not getting their evening meals.

Snake looked a little baffled and then he understood. He then quirked his eyebrow. "Now I see why you need help with your school work."

Snake felt embarrassed after the insult left his mouth; after all, it was nice of the kid to be so concerned over the elderly. Snake hated how jaded he'd become living with Kelvin for the past ten years. This only showed how much he'd changed.

Thanks to his guardian, he now felt there were two types of people: takers and victims. Snake labeled Finny a victim and tried to moved on from thinking deeper about the younger boy. What did it matter to him if someone took advantage of Finny? It happened every, damn day to everyone.

"Hun?" Finny cocked his head to one side, confused. Snake was taken-aback Finny hadn't realized he'd been insulted. Snake felt disquieted at that innocent, baffled gaze he was receiving. And, Snake admitted to himself, he was ashamed at throwing out a nasty insult; he was going to start tuning out Peter and Wendy' gossip more.

"I have several snakes at home. I study herpetology. It's my hobby, but I want to make it my career. I wanted to make sure my snakes, my friends, are cared for," he explained awkwardly. He tried to not talk about his friends around school; it almost always seemed to lead to awkwardness. People didn't care for snakes a great deal; he'd found out the hard way.

"Oh. I'm sorry I interrupted you feeding them," Finny said. Snake decided the younger boy was feeling guilty and some embarrassment. Finny started to look defensive to Snake. It was the tension in his shoulders, and he wouldn't meet Snake's eyes anymore. Plus, Snake's sense of smell picked up on Finny's nerves.

Snake had a very odd appearance, snake-like, and had caught a lot of attention around school. He decided that was what was off-putting to Finny. The Freshman sat up straight and vowed, "I promise to do my best so you can get back to your friends! I also want to do my best so Mey-rin and Bard don't have to worry over me any more. Please help me for that reason. My cousin and her husband have too much to worry about. If I were to get good grades, then they could have some peace of mind. They want me to be able to get a good job after graduation."

Snake was a little surprised and confused. Did the kid live with guardians rather than parents, too, and wanted to do well for them? What was the story behind that? Snake blew off his curiosity. He was here to tutor; that was all! At least the kid was sincere and determined. That's all Snake needed from the kid, he thought as he clenched his lips. Joker and Dagger would owe him for this.

Snake nodded his head and said, "Lets start on math. Let me see your last test and some of your homework."

Finny handed over his test and homework; after some explanation and examples, Finny was able to make up some homework while Snake did his own math homework for Spears. They worked through Crevan's science lessons: biology for Finny, chemistry for Snake. Finny made some good progress on that homework thanks to Snake.

It seemed Finny enjoyed the outdoors and wanted to learn about flora; but, too bad for Finny, their science professor had worked as an undertaker before this and was actually a thanochemist. English with Sutcliff, well, that was a different story. Snake read Finny's last essay for Professor Sutcliff and gave him an appalled, wide-eyed look.

"Um... you know this isn't good... at all," Snake said to Finny as he lofted the wide, loopy, ill-formed, misspelled words.

Finny blushed horribly and nodded. "I haven't read much before now," he explained in an embarrassed whisper.

The Senior suspected there was a lie of omission there, but he wasn't going to push it. It was none of his business and he had too much too worry about since he was graduating. Kelvin had already started talking ideas for Snake's future; ideas he wasn't keen on. Still, he owed the man for taking him in when no one else would. He pushed from his mind worry over Kelvin's unsavory ideas. Snake took a deep breath and nodded.

"It'll be okay. Your previous school must have been horrible."

Finny fiddled with a pencil and admitted, "I wasn't able to go to school much. That's why I'm far behind."

Snake tilted his head to the side, and gave Finny a piercing stare. He assumed illness. Finny started to fidget uncomfortable in his chair. Finally, Snake admitted, "I wasn't able to go to school too much either, when I was little. I'm sorry about that. Don't worry about the past. I'll make sure you get caught up."

Snake worked hard with the younger boy and then the librarian chased them out the door. They stood on the front steps of the school, and Snake had planned to asked Finny if he wanted to be walked home. He was shocked and a little intimidated when a police car rolled up and a man in a uniform hopped out and asked, "How are you doing, Finny?" After all, the last thing his family needed were police around them. Snake had no idea Finny knew a cop.

Finny gave the tall, burly man in blue a joyful smile. "I'm fine. I was about to walk home. That's all."

"Is this your tutor?" The policeman asked, giving Snake a hard, narrow-eyed look.

"Yes, sir! His name is Snake. He was really helpful," Finny gushed. Finny then looked up at Snake and said, "This is my cousin's husband, Bardroy. I'm living with them at the moment."

Snake lowered his eyes, his jaw muscles turned into knots being so close to a policeman. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"Shy guy, ain't ya?" Bard observed. "Well, hop in. I'll take you guys home."

"No, sir. Thank you, though," Snake mumbled, anxiety turning his stomach into a pit of acid. Snake turned and ran down the street, ignoring Finny calling after him.

* * *

"Let him go, Finny. Get in, because Mey-rin will be upset if you're out longer than nine," Bardroy said. Finn trudged to the police cruiser. "Besides, she has a plate waiting on you in the fridge."

"Of course," Finny said, trying to get the frown off his face. He was disappointed on two accounts. One, Snake had seemed to warm up to him. The Senior had a reputation for being unfriendly, to say the least. Finny had wanted to finally make a friend, in spite of Bard and Mey-rin's urgings to keep to himself. Two, once again, Bard and Mey-rin were keeping him locked away in their home "for his own safety." He went along because it was a dangerous situation their uncle found them in. It was just so lonely since they both worked mainly in the evenings and the weekends. He was just craving someone to talk to.

After Bard started driving them down the street, he asked, "So you think this will help you?"

Finny held out a glimmer of hope. That's right! This wasn't a one time thing. He still had a chance at friendship. Finny nodded enthusiastically with an "Un hun!"

"Good. We can then start getting you ready to find a job in a few years. Hopefully, things in the underground will have settled down and you and Mey-rin can have some peace and quite."

Finny didn't say anything. He was trying to always keep optimistic about that situation. Optimistic, but cautious.

* * *

Snake snuck in the back door, but was taken off guard by everyone in the household being gathered in the kitchen, of all places. Everyone: Joker, Beast, Dagger, Doll, Wendy, Peter, Jumbo, and yes, even Kelvin. That was something he dreaded more than meeting a policeman, seeing Kalvin had gotten home early with Jumbo.

"Snake, Peter and Wendy were just telling me you got caught up in some tutoring duties," Kelvin pounced with no greeting or explanation on why he was home early. "There seems to be some disagreement about how you ended up in the situation, but I want you to get out of it.

"You and Joker, both, have other things to think about as you're preparing to graduate. You and Joker are going to start shadowing Jumbo at my corporation in your spare time so you can learn your upcoming duties."

"I'm afraid that's impossible, says Oscar. Principal Michaelis orders it, say Keats." Snake admitted, he was bothered by the idea of abandoning such a nice boy. He worked hard and did everything asked of him without grumbling.

"Here we go again. He'll be doing that for a week," Dagger complained under his breath to Beast, who elbowed him in the ribs. "Owww!"

Doll glared at Dagger and said, "Shut up. It's not like we should pick on each other. We're supposed to be a team."

Snake blushed as his nervous speech habit bubbled up. He took comfort in his reptile friends; he took comfort in letting them have the words from his mouth. It was easier that way than to give his own thoughts and feelings a voice.

Kelvin took a puff on a cigar and glared. "I'm going to have a word with Michaelis tomorrow morning. Up to you bedroom. Beast, take him dinner after we eat."

Grounded, too! Just what he needed on top of punishment at school. He started thinking things over. Kelvin could cause all sorts of trouble he wouldn't want to see someone like Finny mixed up in. Maybe he should just stay away and take a new punishment if Kelvin persuaded Michaelis.

To be continued.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3:

Snake expected to be called in to Principal Michaelis' office at any time and be released from his punishment of tutoring Finny. Kelvin was a rather persuasive, influential businessman in the community.

The call for Snake over the PA system never came. By lunch time he had heard from Doll that Kelvin had come to school with Jumbo pushing his wheelchair. It was actually a quick meeting; Kelvin had left Principal Michaelis' office with grumbled curses.

Snake knew he would be in trouble for sure if Kelvin was that aggravated. He also knew that meant he was probably still obligated to Finny. Snake sighed, took a sip of chocolate milk, and pondered how to get out of his punishment if Kelvin couldn't manage it. He had to please Kelvin, because the old man had provided for him for years. If it wasn't for Kelvin, he had no idea where he'd go for shelter. His appearance recoiled most every person he had met.

A horrible thought came to him but wouldn't leave. There was a thing called sabotage, after all... What if Finny failed the next round of tests? Wouldn't that let Snake off the hook and mollify Kelvin? Snake admitted it was rather cruel plan, but he justified it by convincing himself that Finny could get one of the normal kids to help him and would be better off. Nothing good would come to Finny if it were commonly known he hung around Snake, even when it was mandated.

Doll hadn't told him much more about Kelvin and Michaelis' meeting as they ate in a secluded corner of the lunchroom. Snake glanced around the crowed lunch room and spotted Finny. He had a sack lunch and a book. He noticed Finny was going to sit apart from the other students in the opposite corner; the younger boy hadn't noticed he was being watched by Snake. It struck Snake as odd that Finny was eating alone, seeing how friendly the younger boy was. He imagined Finny had a lot of friends, but it didn't seem he had any.

That one brat, Aloise Trancy, showed up with his arm in a cast. He marched up to Finny and instantly smacked the book away from Finny's grasp. Trancy bellowed a lot of threats, but Finny clasped his sack lunch to his chest as a feeble way to ward off the boy. The sack lunch got smacked away by the furious Trancy boy.

Snake noted Finny did nothing. He just stood like a whipped puppy with eyes to the ground. At first, Snake found himself irritated at Finny for not defending himself, but then he noted Finny's lowered, balled up fists. Snake noted Finny was holding back, since he had tense shoulders and even watery eyes. Snake had a sense the boy was actually keeping himself in tight check for some reason. How could that be, considering what a meek-looking person Finny seemed to be?

Snake didn't consider it fair, especially with the Trancy brat's arm in a cast. There was something about it that was so unbalanced, but Snake couldn't figure it out. "Oh, that? It's been going on a while. Surprised Finny popped him on the jaw the other day. Usually, Finny just turns away and snivels in a corner," Doll confided, noticing where Snake's attention was. Doll was a Sophomore, but he was close to Wendy and Peter.

Snake wrenched his eyes away and steadied his breathing, when other students started laughing and egging Aloise on. Snake snapped in a harsh whisper to Doll, "It's none of my business what Aloise does to Finnian, Emily says. Old Man Trancy and Kelvin have an agreement, and you know that. We have to be peaceful with his kid so that they can make a deal, says Wilde." Snake rose with his lunch tray. Part of him couldn't watch Aloise torment Finny any more. He had to look away, and he castigated himself for not being more aloof from this terrible display.

He still wasn't free of his obligation to Finny, and it bothered him a great deal. Was that why he was having difficulty ignoring the bullying going on across the room? Also, he was aware of Kelvin's deal with Old Man Trancy going on in the background. No, he was only supposed to tutor Finny, that was it. He wasn't to watch after the boy or anything else.

Doll sputtered and reminded Snake, "It's that Trancy kid! We're not to cause trouble with him because Kelvin is making a deal with his father." Snake froze realizing he had absentmindedly taken three steps towards Finny and Aloise. He flinched, stunned that he had done that.

It escalated into Aloise shoving Finny back and stomping on the sack lunch over and over as he snarled cruel threats. Snake felt his hands clench around the edges of his plastic lunch tray. That wasn't right; to deprive some living creature of food was evil.

Before Snake could think what to do, Finny ran from the cafeteria in loud tears as other students ridiculed and laughed at the bullying. He had been in Finny's situation several times. It caused all sorts of anger to boil up in the pit of Snake's stomach. He was now remembering what it was like to be ridiculed and bullied.

Aloise was howling in laughter, now, and that burned Snake a great deal. He wanted to threaten the rich brat. After all, Snake's looks were enough to scare anyone. Instead, Snake bolted from the secluded corner and chased after Finny. He repressed every thought that told him how stupid he was acting by making Finny his business. He ignore curious eyes in the lunchroom. He ignored Doll hollering at him to stay put.

"Right is right. If Kelvin doesn't understand... " Snake said over his shoulder at Doll and shook his head, knowing Kelvin wouldn't understand. Finny needed him right now! "Oscar says some one has to help Finny, and Kelvin will have to understand." Snake felt embarrassed by Doll's look of disapproval so he added, "I'm supposed to help him or get kicked out of school, says Wordsworth!"

Doll sighed, nodded, and sat back at the table they had been sharing. Snake ran down the hallways, but lost track of Finny. He was frustrated, so he forced himself to be calm. He closed his eyes and stuck out his tongue. After he collected the scents around him, he rolled his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Finny's scent of Ivory soap and V-05 shampoo filled Snake's senses.

He charged towards the path that lead out of the school and... over a seven-foot-high fence? How did that happen? Finny could do that somehow? Snake shrugged and did a running jump, himself. It was trivial for him get over it. He landed and sensed Finny went left to the small lake beside the school.

Before he got there, he heard loud wailing. There was something about that wailing that caused a deep need to silence it. He had only known Finny for a few hours in total, so he shouldn't be chasing after a silly Freshman. But still, that noise was causing a visceral reaction. He needed to stop that noise, no matter what!

Sure enough, he found Finny laying on a massive rock that hung over the lake near the school. Trees usually kept it in shade, but Snake knew the rock would collect heat for about five hours a day. He used it to get some energy back in the middle of the day, sometimes, when he got too cold. Snake found it ironic Finny had found his way to this large rock overhang.

Snake didn't say anything. He just approached, but was shocked when Finny, that was prone and sobbing on the rock, snapped to and leaped up with a lightning fast roundhouse. Snake barely dodged the strike to his jaw and stood stunned at a safe distance, now.

Finny sunk to the rock on his hands and knees. His green eyes were now growing softer from some sort of scary single-mindedness. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you," he whispered, wiped the tears from his cheeks, and forced on a friendly smile.

"How did you do that? It was amazing how quick you were," Snake asked in a soft voice, but got in a defensive position in case Finny pushed him away again.

Finny just shrugged and shook his head. Snake couldn't miss something because of the pits in his cheeks that sensed heat. Finny's heat was coming to his face. He was about to be embarrassed, lie, or both. "You should get back to school before you get into more trouble on my account. Please. The bell is about to go off. You should leave."

Snake stood and extended his hand towards Finny. The Freshman looked bewildered, but took Snake's hand anyway and allowed himself to be pulled upward to his feet. Snake admitted he was shocked Finny actually had touched his scaly, cold hand. Snake kept his physical contact with others at a minimum. It was just that he knew what Finny was feeling right now, and he wanted the boy to have some kindness after the bullying, even if the kindness was from some sort of freakish reject.

"You'll finish the school day with me because you're stronger than that. I know you are, says Oscar. You can make it, says Emily. And at the end of the day, I'll tutor you with anything. Don't give up."

Finny's eyes turned so adoring Snake had to look away. When Finny was silent, Snake grabbed Finny by the upper arm and took him back to the school fence. Finny broke away, took a running leap, and landed on the campus.

Snake's chest constricted a little. Was Finny something like him? Abnormal? What if Finny was also a freak that belonged in Kelvin's house?

Snake shook his head at the idea as he sailed over the high fence and landed beside Finny. He gasped when Finny touched his hand and looked up at him with so much joy and gratitude.

Snake's resolve grew hard. He'd help this kid, and he would not let Kelvin around him. After all, Snake was resolved to a life of servitude to Kelvin. He never wanted that for someone else.

To be continued.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This has a lot of build up in this chapter. After this, a lot of action is going to happen. Mey-rin and Finny's uncle was picked by WingedP. He'll be revealed soon. Thanks for reading.

Part 4:

Their arrangement went on for two weeks before testing on an upcoming Monday. Snake didn't carry out his plan to sabotage Finny's test taking. Every time he looked into those wide, green eyes, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Finny looked up to him with so much trust, and he tried so hard to give his best. That's why Snake volunteered to help Finny on the Friday before testing.

Snake just couldn't do something so nasty to one of the few people that would meet him eye-to-eye, let alone touch his hand. Snake ended up working hard at getting Finny properly prepared for the upcoming testing. His mind machinated hard on how to placate Kelvin if Finny still needed help after this testing.

Snake was also trying to figure out how to get out of his training at Kelvin's company the minute Finny was caught up on his school work. Kelvin made it clear, once Snake was free of Finny, he was to take up training with Joker under Jumbo in "security." Once again, sabotaging Finny came to Snake's mind. Maybe he could help Finny just enough so Snake could keep tied down in the library after school, yet not get kicked out because he was an abysmal tutor. It would be such a fine line to toe.

Snake didn't get any more chastisements from Kelvin and was pleased when the man went on another business trip with Old Man Trancy. Things got quiet around the Kelvin household. Not only because of Kelvin's absence, but also Joker started spending more time shadowing Jumbo after school. Thankfully, Snake was still able to use Finny as an excuse to spend more time in the library, but Jumbo had nodded at the explanation and warned him to get rid of his obligation to the kid soon.

He found himself getting more and more used to Finny's presence during his after school homework time in the library. He was taken off guard by this realization on one afternoon when Finny couldn't be there, because he had to run an important errand for his cousin.

Snake had hated it, at first, when their fingers would touch by accident or he'd have to take Finny's hand and guide it to form proper letters across paper, but on that one day Finny didn't show up, Snake kept absently reaching across the table. Snake found himself desperately missing the shy, physical contact. He desperately craved touching that soft, smooth skin. Sharing touches with another was something he had never hoped to have.

He had made up with his lack of contact the following day by nudging off his and Finny's shoes under the library table. Finny had looked shocked, but then locked his eyes on his history work. Snake had rested his feet on the younger boy's; he wasn't rejected. Snake had been surprised, but started feeling so warm inside at Finny's acceptance.

He decided to move slowly, though, even though he really wanted more and more of this brightness to alleviate the dire future ahead of him. He started feeling greedy and wanting to get what he could before he would be forced into ignoring Finny.

Snake noticed Finny had tried to brighten his days in small ways. He would save the desserts from his sack lunches and always gifted them to Snake as a payment for helping him out. Snake had rejected the gifts at first, and saw Finny's face fall at each rejection.

Then he had learned from his younger, adoptive siblings that Finny had a huge sweet tooth. He then figured the younger boy was making a big sacrifice by saving the sweets from his sack lunches as a timidly offered gift.

Snake started accepting the gifts of chocolate puddings and jellied fruit snacks; Finny's countenance would brighten when Snake ate the gifts. Finny's smile would make Snake's heart lighter. Snake was still a little confused on how eating a pudding cup could make someone else so happy.

He discovered something strange about Finny during their study time, but it did explain why he was so bad at Professor Sutcliff's class. English, most likely, wasn't Finny's native language. He had no accent and hid it well, which meant he had been working hard on sounding like an English speaker for a while. It had been an accident that had tipped Snake off.

They had been working on their homework in their normal, dark, secluded corner when a book fell from the table because of Finny's klutzy elbow. Finny sighed and said, "Es tut mir leid." The boy smacked his hands over his mouth and looked at Snake in wide-eyed terror.

Snake had no idea what had been said. He picked up the book for Finny and asked, "How are you doing? Any questions?"

Finny shook his head, remained quiet, and buried his nose in some math homework. He wondered what Finny had said, and if that's why he was having problems with English. Snake leaned over and whispered, "What did you just say?"

"I'm sorry," Finny finally confessed.

Snake asked, "So what language was that?"

"German... Mey-rin told me..." Finny said softly with eyes darting around. Finny then shook his head and had a deep scowl. "It just comes out on accident, sometimes. Please ignore it, and please don't let anyone else know I know it."

Snake nodded and continued with his homework; he would keep Finny's secret. Finny wasn't what he appeared to be. The extreme physical abilities, and knowing German, gave it away. Snake thought about Finny as he finished his homework for Professor Knox's history class.

Someone like Finny could be used so easily, because he was too naïve. If Finny were truly different, like Snake and his adoptive siblings, someone would find him and use him for sure. Snake started considering that the way of the world: users, and those to be used.

Over the last few weeks, since he had met Finny, he started wondering why it had to be that way. Couldn't that be defied? Did Snake have to use people or be used by them? Did someone like Finny have to come to such a dire choice, too? Life seemed so bleak, if that's all there was to it. What if there were someone who could protect those that were going to be used? Why did Snake have to turned a blind eye to Finny?

* * *

The last couple of weeks had been heavenly for Finny. He had stayed after school Monday through Thursday studying with Snake for the last two weeks. His homework grades had improved some. He'd also kept to himself during the day and avoided Alois so he wouldn't be embarrassed again. Things seemed to be looking up, especially when Snake had started taking his offered, sack lunch desserts. It was all he could offer in thanks, and it felt like the older boy was saying "your welcome" when he ate pudding or casually nibbled on gummy fruits.

Snake had even started chatting a little more with him, which was really nice. It wasn't anything deep, but it was still nice to finally have someone he had an excuse to talk to. Bard and Mey-rin couldn't forbid Finny from it. They really couldn't protest him spending time with a tutor. What wasn't so nice was Wendy and Peter's snotty comments during class time.

They kept implying Snake would ignore Finny the minute he could get away from this tutoring assignment. Finny hoped that wasn't the truth. He'd done everything to ingratiate himself to Snake. Besides, spending extra time at the library was perfect. Mey-rin worked from six to two most evenings, and Bard worked seven to three or four most evenings. Finny was typically at school when they were sleeping, so he really didn't see them much.

It was nice to have Snake's company for a little while in the early evenings, at least. He would go home after tutoring and microwave a plate Bard had homemade for him; Bard being the most competent cook among them. And that wasn't say much. Finny didn't really like television all that much. It was only something he had been aware of since he got away from their uncle and the arena.

He spent his spare time growing an herb garden in window boxes. Bard had taught him how to build window boxes, and Principal Michaelis had kindly given him a book on gardening. But plants made poor conversation companions. He still loved growing things a great deal, in spite of that. It was something he could do that was opposite of what he'd been taught to do. To make things live, and not kill them, was a deep, heart-felt joy.

Snake wasn't talkative when he started tutoring Finny, but he was getting there. Finny packed his books when Snake finished looking over his homework. It was the first time Snake had offered to help Finny on a Friday. It was because there was so much riding on Finny's test scores on Monday. They both knew Finny would need extra help over the weekend.

They left the building as a thunder clap sounded. Finny darted out into the rain; water came rushing down from the sky. He shouted in glee and spun around in joy. Thunder, lightening, water, it was all as great as the sunlight on his skin. It was outside! It was freedom! It was embracing his liberty to get soaked to the bone by the sky. It was a special treasure to feel this and no one seemed to understand how special nature was.

"Where is your umbrella, asks Emily?" Finny flinched as Snake unfurled the strange, black covering with a flick of the wrist and lofted it. Then he remembered he was supposed to use an umbrella to look normal, he just always forgot it.

"I forgot mine," Finny admitted as his clothes were now getting heavy and his skin quivered. The rain was colder than when it had started. He still didn't think too badly about this strange water from the sky, in spite of his quivering skin. Sky... that was something he had grown to love so much now that he was free.

"Well, get under. I'll walk you home, says Keats." Snake held the umbrella to the side to accommodate Finny, and he joined the older boy under the black covering. The rain was growing too chilled, so Finny quickly joined Snake because of the risk of catching an illness called a cold. He had never had one, yet, but he had seen Bardroy with one. It was gross, so he knew he didn't want one.

Finny felt relieved to see Snake had tended both their book bags and kept them dry. He was so close to the the Senior, shoulder-to-shoulder. It was... nice... but something more than that. His body wouldn't stop trembling! This wasn't normal for him. He usually could tell it to stop and it would. Now, that wasn't happening.

This was the first time Snake had walked him home. It was five blocks, and they didn't share a word. Still, it was so nice to just have someone with him when he came home. He wanted to continue this time with Snake, even if they were silent like this. At Finny's front door he invited Snake in and said, "It's almost seven o'clock. Could you stay and have some dinner?"

Finny started breathing again when Snake nodded. Had he really been holding his breath in hope? And had Snake accepted the offer? "You have such a big family. Are you sure you want to have dinner here? It won't be fancy."

Snake's lips pursed for a moment, but then he said, "It'll be okay if I stay out for a while. Sometimes they can be noisy, and I like to find some time apart from them, says Oscar. That, and my friends were fed yesterday says, Brontë."

"Oh great! Come in!" Finny gushed, letting Snake in after he took care of his umbrella on the porch. Finny lead Snake into the kitchen and had him sit down. He took the plate of roast beef and vegetables, warmed them in the microwave, and then split the dish on a second plate.

* * *

Snake watched Finny divide up the potions and noted the boy put the best and biggest portions on Snake's plate. Snake politely ate the meal present him. It'd be rude to confront Finny about it, so he accepted the kindness. Snake was a lot like his friends when it came to food, he could skip a lot of meals and would have to gorge after a few days. He decided to be polite back to Finny. He ate what he needed and pushed the plate of leftovers back towards Finny.

"What's wrong, Keats asks?" Snake saw Finny shiver and his body temperature sink.

Finny finished gobbling up all the leftover morsels on Snake's plate. "I guess I should have changed out of my clothes first. Oh look! I made puddles on the floor. Mey-rin won't like that." Finny clenched his hands together and sighed. "I always do things like that."

"Why not change, asks Emily?"

"I will," Finny said, sullenly. Then he perked up and said, "Hey! You want to watch a movie? It's Friday so you could stay over. We were sort of planning on meeting tomorrow any way." Then Snake sensed Finny's face grow hot from the pits on his cheeks. Finny then whispered bashfully, "If you want... Your family is probably expecting you."

Snake actually was relieved at the offer. A night away from Kelvin's home was a night of bliss for Snake. "I'll call home while you go get a hot shower and change, Brontë says. I'll explain I'm staying over so I can get you ready for the testing on Monday."

Finny leaped up and let out an adorable, joyful yelp as he ran down a hallway. Snake fished in his backpack for his cell phone and called Doll. He was so happy to have a chance at a reprieve from Kelvin's home. He told Doll about helping Finny and implied all weekend. If Snake had to find other places to stay after Saturday afternoon, he'd cope. Doll sighed and said he'd make excuses for Snake's absents during the weekend. Snake hung up and was thrilled to be free, even for a scant weekend.

He was starting to think on clothes and toiletries, but Finny came out with some plaid pajama bottoms, a tee-shirt, and a wrapped tooth brush. Snake looked Finny up and down to see he was dressed in navy pajamas and a fluffy, red robe. "Bard gave me these a while ago and I just don't think I'll fill them out. It's a fresh brush, too. Do you want anything else? Oh! I have some eggs for breakfast. I hope you like scrambled eggs."

"I love eggs," Snake said. It was true, his favorite food. His friends loved them, too.

"Great! Bard taught me to make scrambled eggs and toast. Why not go get cleaned up and I'll pick a movie. What do you like?"

"Horror movies," Snake said.

Finny shivered and looked a little reluctant. Snake didn't miss the color draining from Finny's face and a deep shiver. Finny asked in a soft voice, "Maybe a comedy?"

Snake could see Finny wasn't happy at the idea of a horror movie, and Snake was no fan of comedies. His brain latched on an idea. "How about just a documentary, asks Oscar? It would help you study."

Finny smiled brightly and said, "That sounds wonderful! While you get cleaned up, I'll get everything else ready. Mey-rin and Bardroy are gone most of the night so it'll be nice to have company for once."

Snake mentally sighed in relief that the policeman wouldn't be around. He finished cleaning up and dressed in the borrowed night clothes. He went to the living room and saw that Finny had laid out a huge palette with pillows and comforters in front of the television.

Also, there was popcorn and sodas. He was surprised how a socially awkward person like Finny would know what a typical "slumber party" situation would be like. After all, Peter and Wendy never invited Finny over, and Snake hadn't seen Finny have any regular friends.

Snake shrugged it off and got comfortable in front of the television. Sure enough, Finny had found a documentary about bats, of all things. He lowered the lights and snuggled on the palette next to Snake.

Snake kept glancing over and couldn't help but think how captivating Finny was he watched in rapt attention on the National Geographic special in the dim light. Finny then exclaimed partway through, "They're so cute! I love bats!"

That shocked Snake. He'd never heard of anyone thinking bats were cute or lovable. Bats, of all things?! Most people hated them as much as snakes. Snake didn't know what to make of that and the delighted expression on Finny's face as he watched the finish of the documentary. The next documentary was about the solar system and Snake had already had a hard day of studying; he was drowsy.

Finny started letting out a rhythmic, sweet, soft snore half way though, and that lured Snake into a further drowse. He reached out and rubbed slow, steady circles on Finny's back. The younger boy was sleeping on his stomach. Snake started wondering again what it would be like, to touch another in a comforting way, rather than harm them. This touch was pleasant and comforting.

Finny's back waxed and waned under Snake's hand, and he wondered if the skin on Finny's back was just as smooth. He slipped his hand under the bottom of Finny's pajama top and his hand froze. What he felt was far from smooth... the feel was something from nightmares. Finny felt Snake's flinch and woke, startled.

Now what to say to Finny? He had intruded and didn't know how to begin to apologize.

To be continued.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5:

Finny felt terrified at that touch on his lower back. He woke from his drowse with a start. Snake's hand was cold, and it stiffened suddenly; now Snake's glowing, amber eyes widened. He slowly slid his hand from Finny's lower back and stammered, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, says Oscar."

Finny cocked his head to one side and admitted, "I'm not sure what you mean by offended me."

Snake looked taken aback and explained, "I didn't mean to cause you to feel upset, annoyed, or resentful. I really didn't want to to hurt you. You looked so... panicked and worried, says Goethe."

Finny's chest constricted a little at Snake's thoughtfulness, and he said, "It's okay. You just surprised me." He didn't want to offend Snake, either, so he said, "It's fine. Please don't worry."

Snake was silent for several moments before he asked, "What happened to you, Finny? Your back has a lot of scars. I even felt a..." Finny worried when he saw Snake's jaw clench in the dim glow of the television. Snake shook his head and then murmured, "I felt scars, says Keats."

Finny felt his heart thud painfully. If he told the truth about how he got those scars, it could lead to trouble. Bard and Mey-rin had kept pounding that into his head since they took him in; nothing good could ever come if he talked about his past. Still, Snake seemed so trustworthy, just extremely shy. Also, Snake had worked so hard to help Finny over the last several weeks. Surely a mean-spirited person wouldn't bother to help him with homework. Maybe... Finny could offer just a tiny bit of truth?

"There was something I used to have to do, and I was hurt several times," Finny lied by omission.

"It must have been painful, Wilde says."

Finny cheeks flushed and he admitted, "Yes, I was hurt. I never, ever want to hurt like that again. It's why Mey-rin and Bardroy watch over me so carefully. They want to protect me."

Finny didn't like how silent Snake was at first, but the older boy moved close on the pallet and slowly, gingerly put his arm around Finny's shoulders. Finny felt warmed so much by the offered comfort.

* * *

"You've been through some horrible things," Snake said. He was startled that his speech pattern was returning to "normal"; he had been so used to his unique way of speaking once again. He wasn't relying on his friends to speak for him right now, and it felt so horrible. He wished to go back to what he knew. Kelvin had told him he'd have to change his speech pattern as he got older.

Sure enough, Dagger predicted right, and it was two weeks when his nervous habit stopped. It unnerved him how his adoptive family had gotten to know him so well when he struggled to keep himself a closed book. He timidly put his arm around Finny's shoulders.

Finny nodded. His expression grew grave. "It was horrible, but I have a new life now. I want to keep it." Finny's expression suddenly brightened. "Right now, I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life! I have a nice family, and I get to go to school on a regular basis. And also, I've made a friend."

Snake felt his stomach flutter and his face grow warm. Outside of his adoptive family, Snake really had no friends to speak of. Finny was the first person who had really made an effort to build a friendship with Snake. Kelvin had always told Snake that anyone wanting friendship besides what his family offered was after something.

He brushed Finny's bangs back and gazed into those large, pure eyes. Over the pass two weeks he'd never detected a moment of guile in Finny's demeanor. Finny was reticent to talk about his past, but he was never overtly deceptive. Snake was torn between what he had been taught- mistrust, and what he was seeing- innocence. At the end of this school year he'd be working for Kelvin, and he wouldn't be allowed moments like this after that time.

"Finny, you look worried."

"We're friends, right?"

Snake sighed, gave into what was before his eyes, and nodded. "We're friends."

Finny's sigh was more of relief than surrender like Snake's. "Good. Let's go to bed. Mey-rin will be home pretty soon."

Snake helped Finny pick up the living room and followed him to his bedroom. Snake was going to sleep on the floor, but Finny beckoned him to share the full sized bed so they could talk comfortably and softly after the lights were off. Snake had the feeling Finny's cousin and her husband wouldn't be too thrilled if they knew he was here. Finny would likely make the plea about studying as an excuse to get away with having Snake sleep over.

They settled in, face-to-face, and bundled under covers. It wasn't long before Snake found himself listening to Finny talk about random, simple things he wanted: growing a full garden, getting a pet dog, and helping his cousin and her husband by getting a job. Snake found himself relaxing, just enjoying listening to someone's hopes that had no sinister motives.

Finny finally yawned, his eyes drooped shut, and he drifted into a deep sleep. Snake put his arm around Finny's waist and was going to drift off, too, but there was still something nagging him about one of Finny's scars he had felt earlier.

He very carefully slipped his hand under Finny's shirt, not wishing to wake him again, and gingerly ran his fingers over the skin on Finny's lower back. Yes! He felt it now! That had been no cut; it was circular and raised, almost like a tiny volcano. Snake knew what it was; it was a bullet wound.

Snake's mind was in a whirl! How on earth would Finny have ever gotten shot? How could anyone bring themselves to hurt someone like Finny? A cold dread settled in the pit of his stomach as he held Finny in his arms in the soft, worn bed. Finny's life was extremely complex...

It must had been, at one time, very dangerous. Snake now knew that, but what to do with that knowledge? He drifted off when he decided to think on it tomorrow.

* * *

Snake was startled awake when he felt a weight across his belly. He gasped seeing Finny was straddling his stomach. Finny leaned over and whispered softly, "I made us breakfast. Scrambled eggs and toast. I fixed some for Mey-rin and Bard, too.

"They ate and are now asleep. They sleep on the other side of the house, but we still have to be as quiet as possible. Mey-rin has sharp hearing and other stuff, and, well, Bard just kind of knows things around him. He calls it instinct... I think."

Snake now felt doubly nervous about the police officer. His worry over law enforcement stopped when the odd things Finny had just told him sunk in. Not only was Finny odd, but his family was, too. He had only scratched the surface of Finny's life, and he really wanted to know more. But first...

He took Finny by the hips and moved him down to his lap so he could breath easier and sit up. Finny smiled brightly as he got comfortable straddling Snake's thighs. He then presented the proudly cooked breakfast from the nightstand. Snake was incredulous at the simple meal's blackened edges. He glanced up and bit his tongue at Finny's hopeful expression.

Snake tasted the eggs. They weren't as bad as he anticipated once he got around the char. He nodded and whispered, "Thanks, Finny. You did a great job."

Finny's smile was irresistible when Snake ate more. "I'm so happy," he said in a breathy way, just a little too close to Snake's sensitive ears. He shivered and tried to ignore Finny's closeness, his lavender scent, his silky hair.

Snake set aside the breakfast plate on the nightstand and wrapped his arms around Finny's waist. "We are friends. I like you so much. You make me..." Snake's heart skipped, but then he admitted, "...very happy."

Finny looked thunderstruck, nodded his head, and wrapped his arms around Snake's neck. He laid his head on Snake's shoulder and whispered, "You make me happy, too."

Snake flipped Finny on his back in the bed and tenderly pressed a kiss to Finny's supple neck. "I just like you so much. You're so sweet. You aren't like anyone I've ever met. You disturb my thoughts, in a good ways. You take away all my stress. I want..."

Finny, who looked stunned, asked, "Want what?" when Snake seized up.

"I want..." Snake took a deep breath and pressed an intense, yet nervous, kiss on Finny's creamy lips. Finny was rigid, at first, and he put up token resistance. It wasn't long before there was a melting between them as the kiss grew more intense.

The back of Snake's mind was screaming "Stop, stop, stop, I'm such an idiot!" but all that was at the forefront of his mind was "More, more, more, I'm such an idiot!"

* * *

Finny was trembling. He knew this was a kiss, but he had only seen them in a few movies Mey-rin liked. Well, and he had seen them a few times around school in stairwells between classes. All of those kisses, though, were between boys and girls, not two boys.

To feel a kiss was entirely different from seeing them. Yes, the excitement of Snake kissing him was making him so heady. Snake paused and looked at Finny in the dim, dawn light coming through the blinds.

"Are you okay, Finny?"

Finny nodded, his face turned hot in the dim light. He felt himself too stunned to really say anything, so he pressed his lips to Snake's and hoped that conveyed his feelings. What he felt in the return kiss was just too emotional and too strange. He'd never felt like this before towards someone. He wasn't sure what he wanted from Snake. When Snake returned Finny's shy, naive kiss his heart soared.

Finny wasn't so naive to not understand that this wasn't something casual friends did. This was something that had to be secret, too, just like the rest of his life. That cast a pall over this joy bursting in his heart.

"Are you sure, you're fine? You just froze for a moment." Snake asked. Finny realized he'd grown rigid, almost ready for a fight.

Finny nodded, pushed aside the bad memories, and smiled at Snake. "I'm very happy right now."

Snake buried his face against Finny's neck and said, "We better start our day." Finny let out a disgruntled tone. Snake whispered in Finny's ear, "Don't worry. We'll have more alone time."

There was a sudden pounding at the door and Bardroy's voice bellowing, "I know what you have in there and what you've you been doing! You better fess up now or I'll kick your butt!"

Snake scrabbled for his clothes and pointed to the window. He started leaving that way as Finny tried to calm his own nerves. "Bard? What's wrong?" Finny asked as he shut the window after Snake slipped out with his things.

"You have a stray dog in there, don't you?" Bard gruffly demanded.

Finny felt a wave of relief and said, "No, Sir. I promise I didn't."

"Come out here and explain the strange umbrella on the porch! You don't even have the good sense to use one."

Finny sighed and opened his bedroom door. Bard trudged him to the front door, and Bard sputtered. There was no umbrella.

Finny fought his giggles as Snake came up the sidewalk in his regular clothes. He looked put together and was under the umbrella since it was sprinkling. He said, "Finny, are you ready to go to the library?"

"But that...?" Bard mumbled, gaping at Snake's umbrella.

"Let me get dressed!" Finny shouted and quickly got ready to go, hoping Bard wouldn't put it all together.

* * *

Jumbo met Joker at a cafe in the lobby of one of Kelvin's skyscrapers. He was irritable and Jumbo's offering of a coffee and a cheese danish didn't banish that. He used his left hand to pick at the crusty edge of the pastry and kept his artificial, rightarm tucked close to his stomach.

Normally, he was prideful of it, but there was an agenda now that he was on the cusp of formally joining Kelvin's organization. After all, his replacement, right arm was a thing of beauty. He shouldn't want the common people to look on it. At least for now. But one day, he'd put on a show and let everyone know how his birth deformity was corrected and now made him superior.

One of Kelvin's companies was a medical device corporation. There were times he and Beast had been asked to volunteer... oh, who was he kidding?... It had been insisted that they try out some of the new products.

At first, he and Beast hadn't like it, but then Joker had seen what Kelvin had told him. Just because Joker had been born without an arm didn't mean he couldn't excel and find himself in a better position than the average person. For that, Joker owed Kelvin his whole life.

"So?" Joker snapped after a sip of coffee and Jumbo's stoic demeanor. "This is a Saturday morning. Don't we get a break?"

Jumbo just gave him narrowed eyes and said, "We have work. Kelvin just got in this morning."

Joker perked up. He owed that man a lot for pulling him off the streets. Joker clenched his jaw briefly and let his current tension go; but what he couldn't let go of were the memories of the horrors of what his life on the street had been like. Thankfully, Kelvin found him in time before he came to any real harm.

Joker took a large, cleansing sigh and asked, "Of course. I want to help Kelvin. What do I have to do?"

"A man named Claude Faustus is coming to town looking for a long lost nephew and niece. Here are their pictures. We'll start the hunt on Monday."

Joker took the pictures and his stomach felt as if he'd swallowed a stone. The one picture he recognized was that kid Snake was tutoring. Yeah, it was a different looking picture. One, he had hollow, green eyes. Two, his strawberry blond hair was shaved off. Three, half of his face was covered in one, massive black bruise. There was no denying it to Joker. The kid with the friendly disposition was the same zombie kid in the pictures.

Joker bit his tongue. He'd gotten Snake into a mess with this Freshman kid. He'd have to persuade Snake to have this Freshman kid reported to Kelvin so the reptilian boy could get back into good graces with the family and take up learning how to work for Kelvin's organization.

"So where is Snake?" Jumbo asked, looking as annoyed as the mild natured, giant man ever got.

Joker waved his hand in the air and put on a distasteful look. "Still working with that little idiot today. He called Doll and left a message."

Jumbo scowled. "From now on, he has to clear everything through me. Tell him to report to me on Monday night so we can work this out. Kelvin wants this tutoring to stop."

"Yes, Sir," Joker said, now regretting putting that glue bottle in Snake's locker.

To be continued.


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6:

They studied hard on Saturday morning. After Snake faked picking Finny up, they went to the public library with their schoolbooks, in spite of the policeman's suspicious stares and Finny's cousin shooting them worried looks through her thick glasses.

It had been five hours of solid studying with Snake; he refrained from flirting with Finny. Finny took the hint and didn't attempt to continue what they had shared earlier. Snake heard Finny's stomach deeply growl halfway into their studies. Snake looked to the clock and saw it was around noon. Finny glanced up from his science textbook, obviously embarrassed.

He said, "I'm sorry. I forgot to pack a lunch. You must be hungry, too. We could go back to my house and I can make sandwiches."

Snake wanted to avoid Finny's family, so he suggested, "Let's go to the Mint Leaf. It's only a block away, and I need some coffee right now." Snake's current speech pattern made him feel so vulnerable, since his friends' words weren't coming from his mouth; at least it was starting to taper off.

He watched Finny's slumped shoulders and embarrassed expression. Snake noticed Finny's eyes were focused on his wringing hands in his lap. Finny had never purchased lunch at school or had anything fancy in the way of school supplies.

"I'd rather not," Finny stammered, blushing.

Snake had come to realize over the last couple of weeks the Freshman had only a few changes of clothes, but they were always cleaned and pressed. Finny's family home was a nice ranch-style in a middle class neighborhood, and it was well kept-up, but the furniture had been basic or second-hand. Snake put it together.

Finny's family really had no extra money, period. Snake offered, "Lunch is my treat. I need to walk around, and I don't want to impose on your family while they're sleeping." Finny looked uncertain, so Snake asked, "Don't you like the Mint Leaf? It's a really good cafe, Goethe says."

"I've never been," Finny admitted. It was a popular place for students. Snake should have guessed Finny wouldn't have been there before, if he couldn't afford to even eat in the school's cafeteria.

"Come on. I'll buy you lunch," Snake offered again. Kelvin had given each of his adoptive children debit cards with set balances. Dagger's account, for example, always seemed empty because of video games. Snake's account, on the other hand, kept accumulating each month.

He only spent money on his reptile friends, and Kelvin was rather generous with his adoptive children's allowances. Finny looked uncertain, so Snake assured him he had more than enough money to treat him to lunch. Finny's stomach growled again, and he finally nodded in agreement as his face turned a delightful, deep pink. The embarrassed, younger boy packed his books up along with Snake. After leaving the backpacks with the librarian, Finny followed Snake down the street.

They walked to the busy Mint Leaf Cafe in silence. Finny stared in bafflement at the overhead menu of the trendy, local cafe. He finally whispered, "I don't know what to order."

Snake took pity on Finny and ordered for him: a turkey sandwich and cheese soup. He ordered espresso for himself. They found a small table after their order was ready; the problem was it was in the middle of the dining area. Snake always hated being in a place he could be stared at. Yes, he had to endure being visible because of Kelvin's rules, but it didn't mean he really enjoyed it.

Snake watched Finny ravenously dig into the meal. Come to think of it, he'd never seen anyone with an appetite like Finny. Snake figured Finny was about to hit a growth spurt. Finny slowed himself down and looked at Snake just as the older boy planned to buy another meal.

"You didn't get lunch?" Finny observed.

"No. I don't need to eat until later, says Keats."

"Did you want to share?" Finny asked sweetly with a smile. "It's really good."

"No. I bought it all for you. I'm really not hungry," Snake insisted and sipped on his espresso. Finny started to look uncertain, so Snake said, "Please eat. I don't want you drifting off this afternoon."

Finny started gobbling down the gourmet sandwich with enthusiasm and several "thank yous" in between bites. Snake sensed something with heat coming up in his blind spot. The table lurched suddenly, but Snake was able to steady it before it tipped to the ground. Not before Finny's soup spilled on his lap.

Finny leaped up in shock as a loud cackle rang out. Snake saw that it had been Alois Trancy, the bullying Sophomore, sneaking up and bumping the table. Judging by the laughter at Finny's distress, this was very deliberate.

"Aww, look at the mess I made! I'm such a klutz," Alois said after he stopped chuckling and leered at the mess he made.

"It's okay," Finny said graciously and started cleaning soup off his cargo shorts. Finny reached for the spilled soup bowl and it shattered in his hand. It powdered instantly with a loud crunch. Finny gasped and glanced around as the shards hit the tiled floor. Some other customers were now looking at disturbance; after all, he and Snake were in the middle of the cafe.

"Really! They should lock you up for public safety," Alois taunted after his expression went from shocked at the shattered bowl to gloating over Finny's distress.

Finny's face paled and his eyes grew empty in a way that chilled Snake. Finny stopped fumbling with the bowl shards on the ground. He then said barely above a whisper, "Locked up?"

"Yeah, you should have been locked away because you're a freak!"

"Shut up, Wilde says," Snake demanded in a firm, low tone when he saw Finny start to tremble. Finny was terrified of something. Alois was nothing to really be afraid of; after all, Finny had managed to break the brat's arm before. There was something else that had suddenly disturbed Finny.

Alois glared up at Snake and looked as if he were about to say something nasty. He bit his tongue, turned, and walked on. Oh, Snake hoped that wouldn't get him into trouble with Kelvin, because the man was still negotiating with the brat's father. He shrugged it off and turned back to Finny.

There was an eerie look in Finny's eyes. Those eyes had become hollow... or something. This was far from the happy-go-lucky boy he'd been getting to know. Snake tugged Finny out of the cafe by the elbow, now grateful the nice librarian had been looking after their school books.

Where to take Finny? He had little choice, so he took him back to the library. Snake mumbled to the librarian that Finny had gotten sick and took him to the bathroom. He helped get Finny cleaned up because Finny was now numb. Finny murmured the words "locked up" once again.

There was something to that, but Snake decided to wait. Finny thawed from whatever had frozen him. After he was cleaned up, Finny silently followed Snake back to their secluded table where the librarian had placed their backpacks. Snake asked if Finny was okay to study. The Freshman got a determined look in his green eyes and nodded.

"Yes. I want to study. I don't want to be..." Finny shook his head vigorously and pleaded, "I'll study and get a job and live a free life. Please help me be free."

"Of course." Snake murmured, taken aback by Finny's desperate tone and the mention of "free."

After lunch, they worked hard for another five hours. Both of them were slumped over their books and exhausted. It was coming onto six o'clock. Now Snake's stomach was demanding food. He wasn't sure what he was going to do about his sleeping arrangements tonight, but he didn't want to go back to Kelvin's house. He was contemplating sleeping on the big rock overhang by his school, because he didn't want to press his luck with Finny's family.

Finny, though, took Snake's hand under the table and pleaded, "Please stay with me tonight. Bard and Mey-rin are gone by now."

Snake took a deep breath of relief and nodded. "I would really like that," he admitted, still worried over Finny from what had happened at the cafe. At least this way he could watch after the younger boy and try to figure out why Finny wasn't like everyone else.

* * *

Joker was annoyed when he saw Doll tuck away his cell phone. He cleared his throat, and Doll flinched. When the Sophomore saw it was Joker he gave a wry expression. "Don't sneak up on me!"

"Was that Snake you just talked to?" Joker asked.

"Yeah. He wanted to say he was still helping out that little twit on Sunday, too. He was just going to stay over at his house. Look..." Doll entreated, "...he explained that the sooner he got Finny getting good test grades, then he could help Kelvin out more. He's not trying to be difficult."

"Oh, I know," Joker put on fake, sympathetic affect. "I should really help out. After all, it is my fault he's stuck over there. I'll meet him at that big rock he likes so well after school tomorrow. I'll have to ask that he invite that kid along. I just want to make sure some progress is being made."

"Wow, that's so nice of you. I'll tell him at lunch."

Joker gave him an annoyed look and reminded, "We're both Seniors."

"Oh right! Sorry! You'll see him in class tomorrow, first thing. Ah... I had better feed his friends tonight."

"Don't bother talking with him at lunch. I'll text him. Where is Dagger? I need to ask him a favor."

"His room. He's playing StarCraft," Doll said with rolled eyes.

"Thanks, Doll. And if Snake calls you for anything else, let me know."

Joker didn't miss the slightly hesitant look, but then Doll nodded in acquiescence with a bright smile. Joker gave him a smile in return and a fond pat on the head. Then he launched himself up the staircase towards Dagger's room. He'd talk to Peter and Wendy tomorrow about keeping tabs on Finny throughout the day.

Joker did want to give Snake a chance to do as he should. After all, Joker did do Snake wrong over the locker business, and turning over Finny would certainly square things with Kelvin. Snake needed to turn that kid over to Kelvin! If Snake didn't cooperate, though, he had to be ready to make Snake do as he should. It would lead to Finnian being turned over to his rightful owner: his uncle.

* * *

Finny lead Snake into his family's home and locked the door. Snake watched him bolt the door securely and then looked around. Snake's cheeks sensed no other heat sources. It was just him and Finny this evening. After they set their backpacks in Finny's room they went and ate Bard's cooking. It was like last night. Finny warmed up and divided a plate between them. Only this time there was silence as they ate.

Snake did notice, with a mental chuckle, that there was a yellow note with red letters on the refrigerator: No strays, Finny! Snake figured Finny broke that rule by inviting him to sleep over again.

They cleaned up the kitchen and then took turns getting cleaned up and changed for bed, Snake first, at Finny's insistence. He got in his borrowed sleep wear and brushed his teeth, always a bit of a task because of his fangs. Afterwards, he went to Finny's room and sat on the bed while the younger boy went and got prepped for bed. They exchanged very few words. Snake could tell Finny was just as exhausted.

This time, Snake plotted an easy escape by putting his stuff by Finny's window and setting his wrist watch to go off at five in the morning. He wanted to leave early enough to get fresh clothes and get to school for their testing.

He was planning to go quickly when dawn hit. As he finished, he heard a chime from his cell phone, meaning he had a text message. He fished his phone from his jean's pocket that were already folded and in his backpack. It was from Joker: "Meet me at the big rock after school with the kid you're tutoring. Got Kelvin to lighten up. Explain when I see you."

Snake crammed his phone back in his jeans' pocket and tried to ignored his phone. Then Doll texted him: "Fed your buddies. BTW, J is looking for you. Something about the big rock tomorrow. Later."

That was strange. Didn't Doll know Joker would have texted him anyway? He decided to keep his phone closer by him as Finny entered the small bedroom. Something told him Joker was up to some silly prank. Well, Finny had been through enough. He'd go have a word with Joker, later, about leaving Finny alone.

Finny asked, "Did you need to go home? Your phone seems to be buzzing a lot."

"No. Just silly stuff." Snake looked away from the phone and up at Finny standing in the doorway. Snake lost his breath. Finny's wet hair was loose from its red barrettes and he was dressed in emerald colored pajamas. The color brought out Finny's eyes in a most fetching way.

"Finny, come here," Snake said, pulling back the three quilts on the bed. Finny's expression turned from something hardened, which was what it had been all afternoon. Now it melted into a sweet, kind smile. That was the Finny Snake was used to. Snake knew this to be the real Finny.

"I'm a bit chilly," Finny admitted.

"So am I, but that's typical for me. Come on, we can be warm sleeping side-by-side. We worked hard today, and we'll need lots of sleep for tomorrow."

Finny turned out the lights, climbed in bed, and settled in Snake's arms. There was a part of Snake that wanted to kiss Finny and just enjoy him like any boyfriend would their significant other, but he was just too tired to do anything other than cuddle.

Boyfriend?! Was Finny his boyfriend? That thought jarred him from his drowsiness. He never once asked to be Finny's boyfriend. Maybe...?

As they finished settling under thread-bare quits and in each others arms, Snake gave Finny's damp forehead a tender kiss and asked, "Can we be... boyfriends?"

Snake could see everything clearly, in spite of the room being in the dark. It was one of his advantages. He saw Finny's bafflement as he stammered, "But, Snake, I'm not... a... girl."

"I don't care about that. I like you," he whispered. Snake knew he should be honest and let Finny know this could only be temporary because of his impending employment with Kelvin. He'd talk to Finny about it later, Snake insisted to himself. He didn't want to ruin this moment. This was a first time for him, to ask to be with someone; and more than likely, it'd be his last time. He needed to embrace this and not taint it.

"I like you a lot, too, but I didn't know this could happen," Finny admitted with purity.

"Do you like me kissing you?" Snake asked a little concerned. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Oh, I like that very much. I've just never seen it, kissing between boys. I didn't know it could be done."

"Does it bother you?" Now he was worried Finny would back out. Obviously, wherever Finny had lived before was extremely sheltered.

Finny shook his head and snuggled against Snake's chest. "No. I like you so much. You make me feel so good."

Snake then gingerly kissed Finny's lips and was overjoyed at the return. "Then you agree to be my boyfriend?"

Finny just nodded vigorously, but Snake could see the bright smile in the dark. Snake and Finny spent more time kissing and whispering to each other, but it wasn't long before they fell asleep.

Snake was woken up by his wrist watch, but Finny was still sound asleep. Snake didn't have the heart to wake him, even though he wanted to make out further. He hadn't gotten enough affection last night before they both collapsed into exhaustion.

Instead, he left by way of the bedroom window and decided he'd take Finny out after school and ignore Joker. Snake didn't want to see Finny suffer being the butt of some rude joke. It'd be better just to take Finny for ice cream in the park. He'd also have to explain to Finny that they had to keep their relationship quiet for several reasons: Snake's upcoming job with Kelvin, their families, others at school... There were a lot, but Snake wanted to take this risk anyway.

After he walked almost halfway home he scowled at his phone. Joker had left a few more text insisting they meet after school with Finny. He'd never known Joker to be so dogged on some silly prank. Maybe there was something more? He's ask Doll at lunch, rather than be direct with Joker, who'd just lie anyway.

To be continued.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Fairy Park is from CLAMP's mangas, Clover and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. I loved that short, sweet story. Basically, Fairy Park is an idealized amusement park with rides, games, and refreshments, but it is where dreams go to end. And yes, I'm going to use Azzurro Vernel from Kuroshitsuji. Also, I took a few liberties with Doll's gender and such, but it shouldn't be too jarring.

Part 7:

"Thank you, Wendy and Peter. Do as Joker asked and keep a close eye on this boy until I say otherwise. Be ready to move against the boy on my say-so alone, not Joker's. Get to school and don't let anyone know what you've told me," Jumbo direct his youngest, adoptive siblings.

Jumbo may be an adult, but he was still very close to these two in particular. The two Freshmen left in a hurry to get their testing and watch after the Faustus nephew. Jumbo knew the house was empty now.

He cinched up his tie, smoothed out his dark suit, and then hit the speed dial number one on his cell phone and waited. Kelvin asked, "What is it, Jumbo? You and Joker couldn't have possibly found Claude Fautus' relatives by now."

"By a set of strange, ironic circumstances, it seems Joker knows where the nephew is at." Jumbo then told Kelvin about what Wendy and Peter had told him. Joker had asked them after breakfast to watch after a classmate of theirs, ironically, the same one Snake had been tutoring.

Wendy and Peter had asked Joker why they had to keep tabs on "the little twit." Joker then had let them in on the secret; their classmate was to be taken by Kelvin's shadow organization and returned to his rightful owner: Claude Faustus. Wendy and Peter had then stayed after breakfast to tattle on Joker for not doing his job as expected. They were worried Joker was going to get Dagger and Snake into trouble, since the plans involved them, too.

"Joker should have notified you when he recognized the boy. Why is he playing around?" Kelvin demanded over the phone, sounding rather displeased.

"Wendy and Peter told me that Joker wanted to give Snake a chance at helping us. He's trying to get Snake in line by getting him to prove his loyalty to you. Snake wants to do his best with this round of testing, I'm sure, to get rid of the boy and start interning with me." Jumbo hoped to mitigate the damage to both Joker and Snake, because he cared for them both as if they were his younger brothers.

Kelvin was silent for a moment and then said, "Excellent. Lately, Snake has been a little more sullenly willful than I like to see in my children. I want all of you to be happy, after all. Trancy, Faustus, and I will be on our way to the downtown arenas. Have Joker and Snake bring the Faustus nephew to the one on the east side. Be careful; there might not be a cage strong enough to hold him. You might have to watch after him personally or find some leverage to make him stay put.

"He may know where that Faustus niece is hiding, too, so we'll need to question him. Claude Faustus is offering a large bonus for her capture, too. He wants her back in his employ, and I want that bonus. You have permission to loosen that child's tongue to get that information, but no permanent damage. He's still valuable merchandise that Old Man Trancy wants to buy from Faustus. Trancy lost a lot of money in the arena lately, so he wants to buy a winning fighter; and I don't want to lose my brokering fee. Faustus' assistant is on her way to help out." Kelvin then hung up.

Jumbo couldn't believe he would have to expend any energy watching after that scrawny kid Snake was tutoring. He'd seen the frail waif in passing. But, Jumbo decided to be wary, because the Faustus family was known in the underground crime cartel for all sorts of "anomalies" in their gene pool.

He then called the man in charge over the four underground arenas: Azzurro Vernel, a member of the criminal, Italian Ferro Family. Jumbo instructed the man to get a prison cell ready on the East side, and he ordered Vernel to start calling around to find the kid a possible death match tonight. This could bring in Kelvin a lot of money if the merchandise could prove his worth to Trancy.

* * *

Snake thought over the start of his day leading up to lunch. It had been bizarre. Joker had come in a little late to class and kept his indigo eyes to himself during their testing. Joker bolted from the testing early and sent Snake text messages, badgering him to bring Finny out to the big rock by the lake after school. Snake only sent back non-committal text replies.

Stranger still, Dagger was nowhere to be seen. That spiky, bleached hair was always highly visible in the crowded hallways. Snake knew Dagger would be in trouble with Kelvin if he missed his round of Junior testing, because it was a huge part of their semester grade. He hoped Dagger had a good excuse rather than playing WarCraft or trying to peep at Beast's enormous breasts.

Beast was at school, so WarCraft was probably Dagger's vice today. Snake had missed talking to Beast; she was too busy with her own Junior testing. She had passed Snake in the hallway with a quick wave and good luck wishes. Then he had spotted Finny hurrying to Professor Sutcliff's class. Snake inwardly groaned at Finny's impending English test grade.

What Snake had found bizarre was that Wendy and Peter were right on Finny's heels. Usually, those two stayed clear of Finny. Something was really strange with that. Why were they in Finny's arm's reach if he was such a threat? Snake, from what he'd seen, knew Wendy and Peter were probably just slightly faster than Finny. He did know this much without knowing all of Finny's secrets... heaven help those two if they ever got in Finny's grasp.

Wendy and Peter were making no sense, and he had no time to check on Finny in between classes. Finally, lunch came around. He had hoped to see Finny and actually eat lunch with him. Doll showed up at their usual secluded table in the corner, but Snake didn't mind that at all. Hopefully, Doll knew what was going on with all their adoptive siblings.

"What the hell...?!" Doll yelped as Snake tugged him down onto the bench.

"What... Joker... up... to?!" Snake demanded.

"Oh... you're not talking through your friends any more. I haven't seen you all weekend. I guess Finnian really is as pathetic as Wendy and Peter say."

"Joker, him... about. Tell... now," Snake fumbled over his words. The less his mind could use his friends to talk, the worse his verbal skills got. Emotions made it even worse.

"Joker? He's just being a nosy jerk and has something up his sleeve. He was plotting with Dagger last night over something for this afternoon. Don't know," Doll said with a shrug. "I do know Joker did asked after you last night. Hummmm..." Then Doll looked pensive. "Wendy and Peter asked me where you were this morning. I told them I had no idea. They laughed and ran off, so I'm not sure what's going on with them." Doll shrugged again. "You know those two."

Snake nodded and focused on his words, making them stronger. "I know them. They can cause a lot of trouble when they want to, says Wilde."

"I do know there was something about Finnian mentioned at breakfast. I was headed out the door when they were talking to Joker, so I don't know much. Sorry, Snake."

"Joker's been harassing me all morning and over the weekend, says Brontë. Is he still upset that I'm tutoring Finny rather than interning with Jumbo?"

"Yeah, that much I know," Doll admitted before picking at the food on his lunch tray. The younger boy grew sullen. "Look, Snake, you really should put Finny aside, now. I mean, he's a silly twit; that's what we all call him when you aren't around. You have other things you could be doing for the family.

"I mean, he's nice and all, but think about Kelvin. And also, no matter what, you know Joker really likes you and wouldn't do anything to hurt you. You should just go and see what he wants with Finnian. It's not like he'll really do anything to harm him. Maybe Joker will just embarrass him a little at the most. Friendly teasing, you know?"

Snake's jaw clenched at the idea of Finny being embarrassed. He got angry at Doll for even suggesting letting Finny get hurt that way. He was very angry at Joker for doing something so horrible as picking on a harmless innocent. Oh who was he kidding? He was very angry over the idea of Joker hurting Finnian, specifically. Why would he want to do it?

Snake shook his head and said, "No, I don't think I'll meet him. Joker has to give me a compelling reason rather than a vague demand, says Wilde."

Doll looked as if he were about to try to further convince Snake to meet Joker, but then something caught the younger boy's attention across the cafeteria, and then he scowled. Snake turned his head to see what was irritating Doll.

Wendy and Peter were hot on Finny's heels as he scampered across the cafeteria. His hands, clutching his sack lunch, were over his head in a defensive way as he try to avoid his classmates. Before Snake could go check on that, the bell rang.

Lunch was all too short, but at least his faith in Doll was restored, somewhat. After all, Doll had the same issue as Snake: nowhere to go if you got out of line with Kelvin and the others. He had to be loyal, too, but Snake was starting to question why his loyalty couldn't extend to others.

Then he started to get nervous. Where would he go apart from Kelvin's home? What would he do if he didn't work for Kelvin after his schooling? He didn't blame Doll for urging him to meet with Joker. It was Doll's way of being concerned for Snake's well-being.

Snake gritted his teeth as he ignored his vibrating cell phone in his jean's pocket. It would only be Joker, again, and Snake had bigger concerns than pleasing Joker. He decided to take Finny away to the nearby Fairy Park for ice cream after this harsh day. Finny had earned a treat for all of his hard work. They could take a few roller coaster rides and play some of the midway games, too. Mostly, Snake wanted to buy Finny ice cream because he seemed to like sweets so much.

Snake's stomach froze. Wouldn't it be a date?! This would be the first time he invited someone away from school and family to spend time getting to know each other in a closer, fun way. That would be a date, wouldn't it? That idea made Snake extremely nervous. What if Finny turned him down?

As Doll and he walked down the hallway towards their respective classes, Doll said something that froze Snake and jarred him from his worries over his potential first date with Finny. "You know, I thought I'd be the first one to get a boyfriend. Of all of our family, we're alike in a certain area. Well, I guess you're older, still, I thought it'd be me first because you're so shy. Oh well..."

Snake was startled Doll had figured out his feelings towards Finny. Was he that obvious?

Yes, it was true. Snake was aware that Doll and he were the only two among their siblings that had same sex attractions. It's why they spent time with each other at lunch and looked out for each other's backs.

They had too many things that made them stand out, like all of Kelvin's children. But Doll was a cross-dresser, and Snake was... well... Snake. Being attracted towards the same sex could only mark them for further harassment if others around school found out. Snake and Doll gave each other a special support and cover so things didn't get around in the way of gossip. The other siblings didn't quite understand, but they accepted Snake and Doll, and they had always defended them. Kelvin wanted his adoptive children to be a tight-knit group, and they really were.

Snake didn't deny his fondness for Finnian. He nodded and said, "I'm going to ask Finny out this afternoon. On... a date... to Fairy Park... Emily says."

Doll then looked delighted and said, "Awesome! He is really cute, so forgive me for calling him a twit. I know I told you to ditch him earlier, but if your really like him, you should at least try. Just keep in mind, your family needs you, Snake." Then Doll grew from happy to disgruntled. "He's more available than my crush."

Doll had confided to Snake he had a crush on the police commissioner's son, Ciel Phantomhive, but Ciel was already going on dates with a girl named Elizabeth Midford. The Sophomore's classmates were a hotbed of gossip that Snake suffered through for Doll's company. Why Doll would flirt with the danger of getting too close to the police commissioner, Snake would never know.

"Hey. I can't use this right now 'cause I don't have a guy. Yet! Maybe you can use it now. I just... you know... in case something happens with you and Finny. Keep in mind, even if the boy looks nice, you never know where they came from. Just be careful, Snake." Doll, then, after that awkward moment, took something out of his wallet and handed to to Snake. He couldn't deny how depressed Doll was by the body language and expression on his face.

Doll bolted into his scheduled classroom, Spears' classroom. Snake opened his hand to see what was pressed into it: a wrapped condom. That took Snake aback. He knew Doll was crushing on Ciel Phantomhive. Snake did hope that worked out between Doll and Ciel, but he doubted it. Elizabeth was too much of a part of Ciel's life, and Ciel would never like Doll in that way.

Snake did know that Doll had never even kissed another boy, let alone the aloof Ciel. Was Doll giving up this condom as a sign of giving up on Ciel? Snake quickly tucked the condom away in his back pocket, afraid someone would see him with it. He didn't want to be embarrassed, and he didn't want to embarrass anyone he associated with, like Finny. Gossip spread too quickly around school.

He hurried on to his next testing, deciding to spend some more time with Doll this upcoming weekend. He worried over his younger, adoptive brother, because he didn't seem at peace with himself. Snake wanted to help Doll try to accept his cross-dressing and same sex attraction. Snake had started suspecting that Doll was trying to self harm when he found bloody razor blades in the bathroom trash last weekend. So much came up that had kept him from spending their normal time together. Snake, of all people, knew how awful it was to not fit in his own skin. Doll was in that same situation, and Snake wanted to help.

That's what reaffirmed his idea to date Finny. Snake had to live in his own skin before he could tell Doll how to live in his own. He was odd, but maybe he wasn't totally corrupted after all? Maybe there was a pure piece in him that remained after his time with Kelvin? Maybe an innocent like Finny could accept him in spite of his tainted mind and body? The idea of a date was a glimmering hope in the distance.

* * *

Joker had figured Snake wouldn't disobey. Why would he? It's not like Kelvin didn't lavish them and care about them. Snake was showing just a few signs of disobedience; that worried Joker. It was after school, and he stood by the big, sun-warmed rock. He waited and waited. No Snake with Finnian.

Dagger finally griped about sitting up in a tree for the ambush around four o'clock. His legs were cramping, and it had been an hours since the last bell. Joker summoned Dagger out of the tree because he was tired of hearing Dagger's whining.

"Where are they?!" Joker sneered, pissed Snake hadn't listened to his lead for once. After all, he had sent him fifty-seven text messages!

"Don't look at me! I have no idea!" Dagger shouted, stretching his legs in aggravation.

"We can help you."

Joker looked up and saw a set of triplets being led by a very attractive, busty woman. She had been the one that had spoken. Joker put on his best manners and gave her a deep bow, a kiss to the back of her hand, and smile. "Thank you, ma'am, but... you are...?"

"I'm Hannah Annafellow, and these are my assistants: Canterbury, Thompson, and Timber. We're associated with the Trancy family business, but it's the Faustus family who we've signed a contract with recently. It would seem Kelvin planned ahead for your misstep."

"Father planned something?" Joker said, careful to hide his embarrassment and anger with the woman. He glanced over to Dagger. Sure enough, he was ogling the woman's ample breasts.

After Joker shot Dagger a dirty look, Hannah said, "Kelvin is not naive to your plans. You should have kept him informed." The busty, tanned woman lofted a device. "Your brother, Snake, from what we gathered, has interaction with the boy we're searching for. Your brother, Doll, has been very helpful."

Joker's mind clicked. "Yeah, Snake and Doll are tight. It's because those two are que..." Joker shook his head and bit his tongue before totally uttering the nasty slur. After all, they were his brothers, and he cared about them very much; he just didn't understand their sexual orientation. Then again, Joker was apathetic about the topic of sex, really. His life was devoted to Kelvin's organization.

Also, he wouldn't be going to all this effort to make Snake look good if he didn't care. "Anyway, did you get Doll to do something against Snake?"

"Yes. Doll told us he was taking our target to Fairy Park after your school dismissed for the day."

"Why would he tell you? A stranger?" Joker was very suspicious of the woman. After all, she wouldn't have Snake's best interests at heart. Nor Doll's, for that matter.

"Because I gave him a choice, but we won't dwell on that," she said coolly. Something about that caused an icy dread in Joker's stomach. What had the woman done to Doll? She then looked up and said, "Now, you and Dagger come along with us to Fairy Park and let's end this. You get back your brother, Snake, and my employer gets back his nephew, Finnian. That should be our focus. Don't make me change my focus."

Joker wanted to argue and call Kelvin, but she handed him a note with Kelvin's official stamp: he and Dagger were to follow this woman and do as she said. Joker motioned for Dagger to follow along to the woman's limo rather than his dark green Mustang.

He admitted he was nervous. How would Kelvin know what he was up to? No doubt Jumbo was ratting him out. And, why was Kelvin giving him some latitude? That he had no guesses for.

* * *

Snake had paid the fare on the subway to Fairy Park and had withdrawn cash so he could pay for this trip to Fairy Park. It was only proper for him to pay, since he asked Finny. Finny sat pressed against him on the crowded subway. Finny was trembling and pale. It had actually taken some coaxing to convince Finny to follow him down the concrete stairs. Snake had figured Bardroy and Mey-rin had some strange thing against subways that Finny had adopted, too.

Snake subtlety took Finny's hand and squeezed it when he felt the younger boy whimper. "You've never rode a subway before, have you?"

Finny shook his head with a frown and said, "I want to see sunlight again. I don't like being underground. It makes... It makes me... I don't feel good!"

"Just five more minutes, and we'll be at our stop. Squeeze my hand if you're nervous," Snake whispered over to Finny. Snake about crumpled over onto the floor in excruciating pain from his hand. His boyfriend was causing it! "Finny! Let go! Hand! Hurting!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Finny's gripped eased and Snake could breath again. He didn't need to look to know he now had a deep bruise on his hand. He repressed an aggravated sigh when he saw those sorrowful, green eyes.

They got to the Fairy Park stop and Finny seemed to change once outside in the afternoon sun. There was a gleeful joy Finny had, now. Snake decided when he took Finny home, by a bus next time, he'd ask Finny why he didn't like enclosed spaces. Snake had a feeling it would be a horrible story, so he wanted to wait until they had some fun first.

Finny gasped and gawked in amazement at his surroundings after Snake had paid their admission. Snake asked, "Your cousin and her husband had never brought you here?"

Finny's expression grew embarrassed. "No. They're afraid we could be found if we stayed in public too much. They'd be really upset if they knew I was here, now, and not at home."

"I don't want you to get in trouble on my account," Snake insisted, contemplating postponing this date.

Then Finny put his hand on Snake's. "I want to be here. I want to have fun. I want to live outside of a box. If you really like me, show me this part of life. Life outside! Even if it's a short time. Even if it lasts for only one breath. Please!"

Snake nodded at Finny's desperation and trembling. He had to get Finny's mind distracted. They could have fun, and then Snake could question Finny about where he came from.

"Come on! I want to do that!" Finny shouted as he pointed at a roller coaster that was less than tame for Snake's taste.

"But how about that one?" Snake asked pointing at a roller coaster with children riding on the gentle slopes. Snake took a deep breath and pointed at the ice cream stand when Finny shook his head fiercely. Snake got yanked toward the dreadful coaster and realized that Finny actually had a dare-devil streak, to the Senior's dismay.

To be continued.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hello to all my readers. I appreciate y'all giving this story a try and I'm having a great time writing it. Thanks for the positive reviews, and I look forward to writing more Snake/Finny stories in the future.

To clarify, Doll is clearly a girl in the manga, but I made Doll a boy in this story so I could use his issues to push Snake to evaluate his own feelings towards Finny. In essence, I switched Doll's gender to further the plot.

Thanks, once again. Please enjoy and keep in mind there will be some violence coming up in the next chapter.

Part 8:

Their first date was so much better than Snake had had hoped for, in spite of one thing. It turned out Finny liked the wilder roller coasters a great deal. After several, vomit-inducing rides, Snake bought Finny an ice cream cone with three, giant scoops of strawberry. It turned out Finny was crazy for strawberries.

It seemed Finny was hungrier than he would admit to Snake; it was close to dinner time, dusk was starting to fall. Snake couldn't ignore Finny's growling belly and embarrassed expression, so the Senior went ahead and bought Finny two, foot-long cony dogs, a family-size bag of popcorn, and a jumbo tray of loaded nachos as well. Snake was glad he had brought along more cash than he had originally planned. Finny could eat... and eat... and eat... Snake was still baffled because of Finny's scrawny frame. Where was all that food going?!

Snake had gotten pistachio ice cream for himself and had led them to a bench overlooking the midway. After they were settled, Snake had watched in amazement as Finny gulped down every last morsel. Snake was astounded Finny had finished every last crumb.

Snake didn't doubt for a moment that Mey-rin and Bardroy were providing food for Finny or anything else the blond boy needed. Finny talked glowingly of his home and guardians; the idea of abuse or starvation was laughable. But, the amount of food Finny had to consume was just amazing, even if he was going through a growth spurt. After tutoring Finny for a few weeks, he knew the boy's appetite wasn't anywhere near "normal." There were a lot of things that weren't "normal" about Finny, but the younger boy was so guarded. Then again, who was Snake to cast stones about normalcy and being guarded?

Yeah, Finny must be ready for a growth spurt... or something...? All the food he'd seen consumed by Finny certainly supported that conclusion. It was one more curiosity for Snake as he watched Finny throw away the food wrappers and take his seat next to Snake again.

Snake was contented with silence, so it was Finny who first spoke. "You know, I'm not a normal person," he said barely above a whisper, shyly.

"I'm aware of that. It doesn't bother me. I'm not normal, either, but people can see my differences. Yet, you never once flinched away from me, says Oscar. You have a very large, tender heart. I really like that about you." Snake gritted his teeth in bitterness and couldn't meet Finny's eyes as heat came to his face. "We may have the commonality of being different from normal people, but there is an important part that separates us. My heart has taint in it. Yours is so pure."

Snake's stomach sunk as he despaired of ever making someone like Finny happy. He tried to talk himself into calling Jumbo after this date and make amends by stopping tutoring. He felt Finny touch his hand. He looked over at the Freshman's sweet, gentle smile. "I don't believe that for a minute. You're so nice to me. Someone who was no good wouldn't help me like you have. I mean, I can never repay you for all the good things you've done for me."

"I don't want you to repay me. I just want to see you truly happy. It's the only thing that would make things equal between us, says Keats."

Snake was disturbed to watch Finny hunched over, now, with a troubled expression. "I could never imagine anyone wanting to help me other than Mey-rin or Bardroy. I couldn't picture anyone who would care enough about me. They've told me it's dangerous to trust people, even if I'm very careful."

Snake was silent and baffled as he saw a smile slowly come back to Finny's face. That smile... Snake felt he'd do anything to see that adorable, warm smile of Finny's. He knew he'd never be able to resist that smile or those wide, green eyes. It was too much like resting in sunlight; and for Snake, that warmth was something to seek out.

Finny then said, "You know, Mey-rin told me that some times just giving someone a smile is the best thing you can do in the world. I believe it! I've seen her make Bard less cranky because of her smiles. I'll smile for you, too. Maybe, it'll make you less sad."

Snake felt a cool shock and flinched. "Me? Sad? I have a family and a place to live with my friends so I have nothing to want for, says Brontë. You were the one with a sad look when I first saw you by Principal Michaelis' office. Why was that, asks Wordsworth?"

Finny blushed in that charming way. "I remember that day so clearly; when first time we met." Finny nodded. "I was sad at that moment. I was afraid of the idea of having to spend time with someone else apart from my family, even though I really wanted a friend. I was very afraid I'd hurt someone, and I wouldn't mean to. I cause accidents, and sometimes I've hurt people."

"You're fine, Finny. I'm not afraid of you in anyway, says Emily."

Finny seemed to suddenly relax some tension in his shoulders and breath a sigh of relief. Snake felt tension drain from his own body as he took some more licks from his ice cream, the only food left. Normally, Snake didn't like cold in the least, but it was an excessively warm October First. It was certainly turning out to be an "Indian Summer," which was very fortunate for Snake's metabolism.

He watched Finny's eyes shift to the pistachio ice cream. Finny then asked, "I've never seen green ice cream before. Is it good?"

Snake was a little hesitant. He knew he couldn't really transmit his venom without sinking his fangs into someone's circulatory system. There was still a nervousness he could leave a trace of venom behind on something. He shyly held out the cone to Finny after remembering he had kissed the blond boy and there were no ill effects suffered.

Finny gingerly licked Snake's ice cream and perked up in delighted surprise. "That's so good!"

Snake chuckled, the closest thing he ever came to laughter, and shocked himself silent. He wanted to taste Finny's lips again. He hadn't had enough over the last weekend. He looked around the crowded midway and knew that wasn't possible now. Snake remembered, with disgruntlement, that Fairy Park offed raffles on Monday evenings. Those raffles seemed to draw hopeful, desperate people.

Snake finished his ice cream cone with Finny's help. After the cone was gone, Finny asked, "What's wrong?"

"I was hoping it would be less crowded. When I used to live here it was less crowded, says Keats."

"You used to live here? That's so cool!" Finny gushed.

"I used to work helping keep the midway clean. I was very, very young. I can't even remember not helping pick up trash or wiping down the benches, I started so early. In exchange, I received food and a cot. I enjoyed it, but I never had a family here, just my reptile friends. Kelvin brought the others here one night, and they were all so kind to me. Kelvin was extremely nice. He took me and my friends to his house that very night and gave me the home I had wanted. That's why I owe Kelvin a great deal, says Oscar. He took me in and gave me a family."

Finny's wide, green eyes grew moist. "I'm so glad you had a chance to have a family. I understand getting a second chance like you did. I'm so lucky to have..."

"Snake!" a pair of voices called out, irritating the Senior to no end. He looked up to see Wendy and Peter hovering over them with smug expressions. Was he just telling Finny how grateful he was at having a family?

"What are you two doing here, asks Wilde?" he snapped at being intruded on.

"Can't we come out and play after a hard day of testing, too?" Wendy asked, hands on her hips, a sly smile coming to her lips.

"Yeah, you brought Finny, but not us? What gives? We're your brother and sister, not him. Shouldn't you be treating us to food?" Peter asked, leaning over Snake who was still seated beside Finny. The fact Peter knew he had bought Finny food indicated that those two had been spying on him all along. That made him more angry with them! What had gotten into those two?

Snake didn't miss Finny's awkward expression; no doubt Wendy and Peter were still giving Finny a hard time. Snake figured Wendy and Peter were in one of their annoying, attention-getting moods at the moment that they would lapse into every now-and-again. They loved being the center of attention, and Snake needed to get rid of them if he was to keep coaxing Finny out of his shell.

He sighed and said, "How about I buy you both dinner, and you both leave me and Finny alone, asks Keats?"

"Hmmmm?" They both hummed in fake consideration, mocking Snake's offer.

Snake glared and ordered in a low, threatening tone, "Take it, Goethe says. Unless you want visitors in your beds tonight."

Wendy and Peter looked horrified at the idea Snake would set his friends loose in the house, so they nodded. After all, he'd done it before to Joker and Dagger at various times. Peter said, "Fine, fine! We'll take dinner then."

Snake stood and fished in his back jean's pocket. He drew out his wallet and saw something fall out and land by his right foot. He almost gasped when he saw it was that blue wrapped condom from Doll. Peter was lightening quick in scooping it up and lofting it in the air.

"Ohhhh... looky, looky, Wendy. Looks like there's more than tutoring going on. I knew it!" Peter taunted.

"I knew it, too!" she squealed, causing Snake's face to go beet red.

They all looked at Finny, who cocked his head sideways and asked, "Bubblegum? Can I have some too?"

"Don't. You. Dare. Threatens Emily," Snake ground out through gritted teeth at Peter and Wendy. He was going to stop any potential ridicule towards Finny at that very moment. He grabbed the condom from Peter's hand and stuffed money in its place.

"Fine," Wendy and Peter said dejectedly, deprived of their mocking of Finny for such a strange mix-up. A condom mistaken for bubblegum?! Snake now wondered where Finny had been really hiding out before coming to this school. Sex education was basic!

They suddenly snickered and Wendy said, "Why don't you try that ride?"

Snake's face flushed again as he saw she was pointing at The Tunnel of Love. Peter said, "Yeah, if you really like Finny, you'd take him there and show him a good time."

He could really choke Wendy and Peter right now; Finny gave The Tunnel of Love a curious gaze, which started making Snake nervous. A few couples would get into the swan-shaped boats. The couples would then drift lazily into the artificial cavern.

Wendy said slyly and full of implication, "And Finny, if you really like Snake, you would go and show him how much you really appreciate all his tutoring help. It'll make Snake like you even more if you go in there with him."

Wendy and Peter scampered off with wicked chuckles Snake didn't trust. How could they embarrass him like this?! Yes, he was going to set loose his friends on them when he got home. Before he could linger on their harassment, he felt Finny tug his hand.

"What is that tunnel? Would you really like to go there with me?" Finny looked confused. His wide, innocent eyes looked so pleading. There was just so much Finny didn't understand, and Snake was beginning to need to know exactly why Finny was so naive. Where had he come from?

"It's a ride for people dating each other, Oscar says," Snake explained. "You wouldn't like it because it's enclosed and dark."

Finny took a long, hard look at it; and then, he looked Snake in the eyes with determination. "I don't want to be afraid anymore. I want to live like a normal person. I want to do things..." Then Finny's voice got soft. "I want to do things boyfriends do together. I want to be happy with you. I want to try it, if I can learn to not be afraid of tunnels and dark spaces for just a little while, it would be something Mey-rin and Bardroy could be proud of.

"That, and I want to show you that I trust you to take care of me in a place like that. I feel bad over hurting your hand on the subway. Please." Finny's face turned so remorseful it caused a discomfort in Snake. "Let me make it up to you. I just know nothing will happen with you by my side. Please?"

Snake almost thought better of it, but Finny's plea won out. Snake nodded and lead Finny to the place where the customers embarked on the swan boats. Snake gave the tickets to go on the ride and they were let on a swan boat and launched towards the dark, gaping hole in the middle of the artificial rock out-cropping.

* * *

Finny took Snake's hand almost instantly, but not so tight, as the shade engulfed them. It was cold, he noticed right away. Snake was slightly shivering. He knew Snake hated cold, so Finny scooted closer towards Snake and snuggled around the Senior's arm in hopes of alleviating discomfort.

He now couldn't see anything except Snake's glowing, amber eyes. He felt Snake's arms around his waist. He also heard the whisper from Snake, "Hang on to me."

Finny wrapped his arms around Snake's shoulders tightly as the swan boat's bench seat suddenly reclined. Finny was taken off guard, but his question was cut off by the gradual twinkling on the cavern walls and ceiling. There were light blue patterns traced over the twinkling lights that suggested different things like a bull, seven ladies, a swan, a lion, and much more.

"Snake, what are those? It looks like the night sky," Finny whispered, pressing closer to his shivering boyfriend.

"It's a replica. The pictures are of the constellations," Snake explained softly as they got comfortable reclining and snuggling in the swan boat.

" Constellations?"

"Ancient people thought the stars made pictures in the sky so they named the groupings of the stars after the things around them and the stories they had, Wordsworth explains. When you get to be a Senior, you can study them more. Stars are really awesome to see through a telescope."

"When I first saw the stars, I was terrified of them." Finny gave a soft, deprecating chuckle. His chest tightened as he admitted, "I asked Bard if there were holes in the sky and we were going to suffocate when all the air leaked out. He explained stars were big balls of fire billions of miles off; I've wanted to learn more about them since."

Snake stiffened and Finny could see those glowing, amber eyes narrow. "Finny, when was the first time you saw the outdoors? The stars? The rain? All of it, even the sunlight?"

Finny trembled, knowing he'd suddenly revealed too much of his past. He just had a need to confide so much to someone. But now his need for companionship and understanding had cornered him, and he couldn't think of a lie. He didn't want to lie anyway. He wanted to trust Snake in spite of being told not to.

"One and a half years ago," Finny confessed solemnly. "I never saw the outdoors before that time."

Snake clung to him tighter and buried his face in Finny's soft hair. "How horrible. I can't even imagine what..." Finny felt Snake stiffen and lift his head.

Finny shivered and strained his senses in the cool darkness. He whispered, "Something is wrong?"

"Yes. There are several hot spots... I sense other mammals in here beside you. Six others. Two... two of them I know..."

"Who?" Finny asked.

"I don't..." Snake was cut off by the sudden lurching of their boat. Snake leaped to his feet, leaving Finny reclined in the swan boat. Finny could see nothing of what Snake was combating, but he heard a splash into the frigid water.

"Snake!" Finny shouted scrambling towards the side.

There was a suddenly poke in his right ribs and he felt electricity coursing through him. It wasn't the normal amount to bind a human, Finny knew it was much, much more. It was harsh enough to even overload his enhanced body.

"Snake..." he murmured before passing out.

To be continued.


	9. Chapter 9

True Faith, Part 9

Snake moaned and felt his sluggish blood start to move a little quicker. His dormant heart started beating faster than once or twice an hour. He heard a huge sigh coming from a foot away, then there were warm fingertips on his neck, feeling for a pulse.

"He's waking up, Joker. His pulse is more like a normal person's than a hibernating snake," Dagger's voice whispered softly. He then griped, "Took him too short of a time. I'm sure we'll be hearing about Oscar and the gang for a good month after all of this."

"You know Snake and cold don't mix at all," Joker said slowly. "Are you sure he's waking up? He should still be shocked after that dunk in that freezing, nasty carnival water."

"That's why you wanted me to dump him in that stinky water. I know, it was the best way to get Snake safely out of the picture, and then let Miss Hannah and that trio deal with the little twit," Dagger said as the pits in Snake's cheeks started detecting where heat patches were. There were three people in here: Joker, Dagger, and who else...? Finny, he hoped. "Still, who would have guessed the little twit was super strong?"

Snake heard some rustling in the room and slowly cracked open his eyes. He was lying on a cot bolted to a cinder block wall. Joker was sitting at a stool by Snake's feet. Dagger was walking across the room where Finnian was shackled to the wall. The blond boy was unconscious and slumped forward.

Snake glared hotly at Joker. "What have you done to him, demands Wordsworth?!"

Joker flinched and looked over at Snake. He forced a bright smile on his face and said, "Snake? You're awake. I was hoping you'd be asleep for a few more minutes. You just had to wake up earlier than I had planned. You used to be more sensitive to cold water."

"It's an Indian Summer, says Wilde. I was warmed up before I went into the tunnel," Snake explained through gnashing teeth. "Keats demands, now tell me what you've done to Finny!"

"I didn't lay a finger on the little twit. That was Miss Hannah and her boys," Joker insisted.

"Yeah, they warned us not to mess with him because he could kick our asses if we did. I don't really believe it, though," Dagger said with crossed arms, as he studied Finny's still face.

"Get away from him, Dagger, says Emily!"

"Snake, I have no interest in your boyfriend," Dagger said with a sneer. "I like girls, the bigger the boobs, the better I like them."

Snake's eyes narrowed even more. "I know that! I mean don't hurt him any more."

"Like I said, we didn't do it! A lady named Miss Hannah and her men did. She and her men had sticks that stunned him, and then she gave him a shot on the way here. I guess his uncle produces a venom that can made people numb. Anyway, why didn't you let me know you were hanging around someone with this kind of talent?" Joker asked in an accusing tone. "You know Father is always looking to adopt."

"Is that what this is? Kelvin wanted to have control over Finny so you kidnapped him, asks Oscar?!" Snake was getting utterly furious. His blood was now pumping more like a mammal. His senses were still muted and it'd take him a few more hours to totally recover from the cold shock to his body. "What is it about Finny that's caught Kelvin's interest, Wordsworth asks?"

"You don't know about your own boyfriend?" Joker asked, getting a suspicious expression.

"I know he's different, but he didn't tell me why or how, says Brontë," Snake was starting to feel a bit embarrassed now. Usually he was much more observant and astute than these two siblings of his. Also, he realized something. He'd only confided that Finny was his boyfriend to Doll. How would Dagger and Joker have known? Did that mean Doll had gossiped?

"Apparently, your little boyfriend is a member of the Faustus family. Those people are always born with these fantastic abilities, a lot like us. They hide in the darkest corners to avoid being discovered by normal humans, unlike us. Apparently, they engage in a lot of underground, criminal activity, such as illegal gambling on arena tournaments. That's were the little twit comes in. He, apparently, is one of the champion fighters for the Faustus clan. He and his cousin did the one thing the Faustus clan frowns on. They ran away," Joker explained. "His inhuman strength, speed, and endurance is very valuable to the Faustus clan so they can sell him to the Trancys to be their fighter."

Snake felt as if several weeks of bafflement over Finny dissipated and a mystery was solved. Snake turned his eyes to Finny and wished very hard the younger boy would wake up. No stirring or anything. "How do I know you're telling the truth, asks Emily?"

"Dagger!" Joker snapped. Dagger shifted Finny around in spite of the shackles and Snake could see black marks on the back of his neck. He could read the tattoo: S-012. "That's what marks him as a Faustus. You see, there are two types, the ones that dominate and the ones that are owned. Your little boyfriend is an escaped slave to his own family, and now he's going back. Get that through your head, or Kelvin won't be happy with you."

This was the crux of his problem with Kelvin. The business man had no qualms with enslaving people or selling them like property. It's why Snake so desperately wanted to leave. It was the real reason keeping Snake from committing to working for Kelvin's cooperation.

"uhhhh... Snake...?" Finny moaned as his eyes slowly opened.

"Finny! Are you okay, asks Emily?"

"Yeah... I'm fine," he answered softly. Finny stood straighter and tugged at his chains. They didn't budge from the wall. Finny then clutched his head, staggered, and groaned. A man in a black suit and glasses came in at that moment, with Jumbo following behind. He pushed the glasses up to the bridge of his nose and walked over to Finny. Dagger moved back to Joker, who stood. Finny glanced up and seemed to shrink back as much as he could out of fear. "Please don't come near me, Uncle Claude!"

"You've leaned English. Impressive. So what else did Mey-rin teach you?"

Finny vigorously shook his head. "It wasn't her! I haven't seen her at all since I left!"

"You're a miserable liar. She's the only person you'd know outside of the arena. I've lost five years of having her assassinate people for us, and I've almost lost two years of profits from your fights. I'm not pleased with either of you. You know it'll go easier for you and her if you cooperate," Claude Faustus said in a flat tone.

Snake tried sitting up at this point, but he suddenly realized his left wrist was tied down to the cot. Snake was shocked from his anger and fear over Finny; he tried twisting his hand to free himself to no avail.

"I hope she stays far away from you!" Finny snapped, starting to struggle against his chains.

"That won't work. Hannah gave you a shot of my venom on the way here. You'll be very weak for a little while longer. At least, until you can be put back into the arena. You'll have a fight tonight. I have an important client I want to sell you to, so I hope you're ready to work."

"That's why I feel so sick... your... poison!" Finny whispered, clenched his head, staggered, and groaned again. Finny righted himself and said plaintively, "I'm not going back to the arena. I don't want to go back. Please don't make me."

"You're going back," Claude announced blandly.

"I won't fight. Not ever again!" Finny insisted firmly and shook his head.

Snake's anger over being tied down redirected at the man with the black suit and glasses. Snake dislocated his thumb and was able to slip his left wrist from the rope bond. Joker grabbed Snake's wrist before he hurried over to Finny.

Joker frowned and shook his head. "Don't get in the way! Our father will be pissed off."

Snake knew, in his drowsy state, it was futile to pull away from Joker's gloved, mechanical hand. Kelvin's doctor had designed Joker and Beast's artificial limbs to be faster and stronger than a normal humans'.

"Let me go, demands Oscar," Snake said through clenched teeth. He didn't want to fight Joker, but he wasn't going to let Finny experience any more horror.

"Settle down and behave before you get into any more trouble with Kelvin," Joker said with a frown of disapproval. "The only reason he's not punishing you is because I let you take credit for finding and turning in the little twit. Be grateful."

"Yeah, Snake. Don't get out of line," Dagger said in a worried way.

Claude ignored their family drama and went to Finny. He quickly uncuffed Finny, yanked him up by the arm, and shoved him towards Jumbo. "Take him to the arena. Azzurro Vanel has a match lined up, and I don't want him to be late. He still has his arena markings, I see, so still use that as his registration."

"Marking?" Jumbo asked.

"The tattoo on the back of his neck. S-012. The Faustus family had him marked at birth so he could grow and compete for us. He stays in the arena as long as he draws breath," Claude answered coolly.

"No! I refuse!" Finny shouted and thrashed against Jumbo's grip. "I'll die! I won't fight, and the challenger will kill me, and then you won't make money off of me killing people any more!"

Snake's stomach turned into an icy hollow. The very idea of Finny killing was an atrocity. This was the life Finny was running away from! Claude then walked up to Snake and held up a syringe.

"Finnian, stop struggling. You'll fight or else I'll give this boy a dose of my venom. It doesn't just have a numbing effect on people outside of our family, but you know it also liquefy and destroys organs of strangers. I know this boy is peculiar, but do you want to risk that it'll work on him?"

Finny choked back a sob and begged, "Please don't hurt Snake. I'll do anything if you just stay away from him."

"He's one of Kelvin's, so I won't touch him for now, unless you rebel. Kelvin is rather put out with that boy right now, and he wants to correct the boy in the ways he should go. I hope, for his sake, he listens to his brothers and sisters. Mister Jumbo, to the arena with S-012, please," Claude said. Finny was placid as he allowed Jumbo to tug him out of the room. Claude followed and slammed the door shut, leaving Joker and Dagger with Snake.

Joker turned to Snake, still scowling. His amethyst eyes were full of anger. "You know your problem, Snake? You never once embraced what made you different from the people outside of our family. You've always been ashamed of what makes you special, and as long as you do that, you'll never embrace what Kelvin has to offer you."

Snake found his pulse was picking up along with his strength. He glared back at his adoptive brother. "No! You don't understand me, then. I can't be anything other than what I am. When people look at me, they have a choice to accept or deny me. Finny is one of the rare people to accept me, because he understands. What Kelvin is offering is a total disregard of even those that accept us outside of the family. To use people and throw them away. To make them play things. I know what's going on; I'm not blind. I know children disappear off the street because of him. I can't be a part of that any longer. I refuse to hurt anyone else because of him!"

Snake shivered. Yes, he was terrified of cutting ties, but he couldn't live out the life his family wanted him to live any longer. It was a slow poison they wanted him to swallow, and he didn't want to follow Joker into that spiritual, slow suicide. He'd found his own voice without his reptile friends, and he did the one thing he'd never thought to do: say 'no' to Kelvin.

Joker's expression grew icy. "Then it's time we go talk with Father."

Snake no longer felt dread over seeing Kelvin; this would be a relief. Instead, that dread feeling was now centered on what was going to happen to Finny.

* * *

Finny's skin grew from numb to prickly. Uncle Claude's spider venom was starting to wear off. One of the reasons Finny went so willingly was because he was too terrified Uncle Claude's venom would liquefy Snake's organs and kill him. Only those of Faustus blood were immune to that horror, so Finny wasn't willing to risk Snake's life on it.

Finny sat against the circular wall of the arena across from his opponent's door. They had forced him to dress back into rough, drab brown, hospital scrubs. It was the same as he remembered, right down to the odor of blood and sweat. The floor had fresh sand on it and the cinder blocks were ice cold. Thirty foot above Finny's head were panels by panels of mirrors slanted towards the center of the arena.

Finny knew the mirrors were one-way and allowed an audience to be comfortably seated behind them and served hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. He knew those people up there were betting on whether or not he lived or died. His life only meant some money to them. It had made him sick and sorrowful since the very first day he was able to understand this.

Maybe his life wasn't worth any more than a bunch of numbers in a ledger? He shivered and hugged his legs tightly to his chest. His head slumped down to his knees and tried to fight tears. Uncle Claude was going to get mad at him and may hurt Snake like he threatened. He did know Uncle Claude always carried through with every threat.

His only comfort right now was that Mey-rin hadn't got caught; she and Bardroy were still safe. He had to hold out hope that Bard would protect Mey-rin from this life. Then again, Mey-rin wasn't what she seemed.

A loud, jarring buzzer sounded and Finny looked up to see the LED display above his opponent's door. It flashed red with the word "Betty." Finny quickly scrambled to his feet. He didn't know who "Betty" was, but he knew he couldn't dwell in despair or he'd lose. Then Snake's life would be in jeopardy. He refused to risk Snake's life.

The door swung open and Finny's pulse raced! A tiger! She plodded out and roared at Finny.

* * *

Snake was seated behind one-way glass above an arena where Finny was. He tried to struggle, but his blood was still a little too sluggish. Joker shoved him down into a chair and sat beside him.

"Listen. I'm doing you a favor. Watch what your little boyfriend can do. You'll see why you should have told Kelvin and let him handle things."

Beast suddenly burst into the small room and shouting, "Joker! What have you done? Where is Betty?!"

"She's down there. Hopefully, having a snack," Joker said with smirk. "Don't worry. It's just the little twit."

"But Kelvin said he was dangerous!" Beast was furious. She had balled up fists and was trembling in front of Joker.

"Sit and watch. You know I wouldn't hurt Betty because of you. Just relax."

Snake watched her take a seat next to Joker. This could be the end of a mad, passionate crush. All Snake hoped was that Finny could handle something that weighed six times as much.

To be continued.


End file.
